followtheboathttps://followtheboat.com
Tales (not just) from the high seasTue, 21 May 2019 08:49:12 +0000en-GB
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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.1followtheboat is one of the oldest and biggest personal sailing blogs, documenting the adventures of Jamie, Liz and Millie the Cat aboard their boat, s/y Esper. They have a growing youtube channel with over 10,000 subscribers, but their foray into audio/visual content started with their podcasts. These audio delights covered their passage from Turkey to India, taking in Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen and Oman. These were treacherous waters, not least because the passage was made when piracy was at its most dangerous. Listen to pirate attacks, VHF radio broadcasts, interviews with characters, cultural affairs, fair winds and ocean crossings. <br />
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*These podcasts are being re-released throughout 2016-2017*<br />
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Youtube channel: http://bit.ly/1ExZ2Ai<br />
Sailing video playlist: http://bit.ly/2alKzkR<br />
Complete boat refit video playlist: http://bit.ly/2aqcNGh<br />
Website: http://www.followtheboat.com<br />
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If you like our podcasts and our videos, we're always looking for your support. Please take a look at our Patreon campaign where our subscribers benefit from watching our videos before anyone else, as well as receiving other incentives like t-shirts and Patreon-only broadcasts.followtheboatyesfollowtheboatjamie@followtheboat.comjamie@followtheboat.com (followtheboat)Tales (not just) from the high seasfollowtheboathttp://followtheboat.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/followtheboat-logo-3000.jpghttps://followtheboat.com
followtheboat@gmail.comWhen two become onehttps://followtheboat.com/when-two-become-one/
https://followtheboat.com/when-two-become-one/#respondThu, 23 May 2019 10:00:49 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=38952This is our first encounter with 'civilisation' since leaving Sabang. Apart from the occasional fisherman, we haven't spoken to anyone! ]]>

This is our first encounter with ‘civilisation’ since leaving Sabang. Apart from the occasional fisherman, we haven’t spoken to anyone! It’s taken us a couple of hundred miles or more to get this far and we’re now starting to get to know the people who make up these remote places.

Pulau Nias is a fairly large island with a number of towns dotted around its coastline. In Lahewa they see the odd sailboat, but they’re still curious and some young men on fishing boats came to say hello.

We take a wander around the town and find the inhabitants to be friendly and smiley, but not intrusive. They were genuinely interested in stopping to chat. Everyone who saw us gave us a wave and a big “Hello!”.

Two local fishermen in Lahewa

Tiny Pulau Wunga, just west of the northern coast of Pulau Nias, is very different to its big brother. Once two islands, an earthquake in 2005 lifted the reef and merged them into one, creating a large lagoon in the middle. The few people who live there are more reserved than the islanders we have met so far, but we had a great birds-eye view of this extraordinary location.

Do let us know what you think in the comments. We love hearing from you.

If none of the above floats your boat, please consider supporting us by clicking an icon below and sharing this post. Cheers!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/when-two-become-one/feed/0AIS or RADAR: which one MUST you have?https://followtheboat.com/ais-or-radar-which-one-must-you-have/
https://followtheboat.com/ais-or-radar-which-one-must-you-have/#respondTue, 21 May 2019 08:06:48 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=38943Which is better, AIS or radar? In this post we will explain how they work, and answer that question. Controversial? You decide...]]>

In our latest YouTube episode we had a potential collision with a ship which we monitored using AIS. The ship was on the same course as us, coming up fast on our stern and seemingly oblivious to our position. One of the questions frequently discussed in the boating world is which is better, AIS or radar? In this post we will explain how they work, and answer that question. Controversial? You decide…

The last fifteen years has seen a huge growth in popularity of the AIS system both in the commercial and leisure sectors. With AIS a relatively cheaper option compared to radar, people new to boating often make the mistake of thinking it is an either/or option. Meanwhile many old-school sailors don’t see the need for AIS when radar offers a truer picture of what is in front of the boat. The fact is both are incredibly useful tools.

What is AIS?

AIS stands for Automatic Identification System.

It traditionally uses a VHF transceiver and a GPS receiver, and is an automatic tracking system for avoiding collisions at sea.

There is also the satellite-based S-AIS, system, but for now we’ll focus on what the average cruiser uses, the cheaper Class B system, which first became available in 2006.

AIS uses VHF at 2W, is output on marine band channels 87 and 88, and the range is restricted to around 5-10 miles.

It’s used primarily to monitor local traffic, but the emergence of internet-based services offers world-wide viewing of AIS targets.

Advantages of AIS?

The beauty of AIS is the amount of information that each target broadcasts:

name of the vessel, its MMSI number, position, course, and speed,

quick calculations like the Closest Point of Approach (CPA).

All this information can be overlaid onto a chart plotter or via a dedicated screen.

As well as avoiding collisions, the technology can also used for:

fishing fleet monitoring,

cargo tracking,

search and rescue,

security,

aids to navigation

and even accident investigation.

Targets can frequently be seen behind solid objects like mountains or harbour walls.

FOLLOW US WITH AIS

Disdvantages of AIS?

Not everyone has it

You may be transmitting on your AIS, but unless the other vessel has AIS they won’t necessarily see you

The IMO (International Maritime Organisation) stipulates that AIS is fitted to all international voyaging ships with 300 or more gross tonnage, and all passenger ships regardless of size. So that means a lot of boats are not required to be installed with AIS: Leisure boats, fishing fleets, dinghies…

Not all passenger ships are fitted with AIS. And then, of course, each country will have different rules.

Not everyone turns on their AIS – You are depending on the skipper of the other vessel to turn on their AIS. Maybe they forgot, maybe their unit is faulty. There could be security reasons why they don’t turn it on.

What happened on that near collision?

In this week’s episode we were monitoring the ship on AIS. We could see that it was almost directly behind us, travelling at 12kn.

THE CPA calculation was around 100m or less. The target on screen, indicated by a triangle with the longest point indicating the direction, also displays a forward-pointing dotted line. This can be configured to show the distance it will travel after any number of minutes you choose.

In our case our AIS targets are set to show where the ship will be at the end of the dotted line after ten minutes. Because AIS broadcasts a ship’s MMSI number and name, we were able to hail the boat and discuss collision avoidance.

In this case the skipper wasn’t so co-operative, but on the whole verbal communication between two vessels potentially on a collision is recommended, and is normally positive.

What is RADAR?

Radar stands for ‘radio detection and ranging’, and has been around a lot longer than AIS.

It uses radio waves to determine the angle, bearing, range and velocity of an object.

It was developed in the Second World War, although it was German physicist Heinrich Hertz who discovered radio waves could bounce of an object back in 1886.

Advantages of RADAR

With all the information available from AIS, why bother with radar?

RADAR doesn’t lie. It works on a simple principle: what you see is what you get.

If there is an object in front of you, whether or not it is lit at night or in poor visibility, the radar should pick it up. (Of course there are exceptions like adverse weather conditions, but if you see an object on radar that isn’t an echo, chances are it will be a solid object.)

Radar will show you where the land is.

Radar will show you where it’s raining and help you track the speed and direction of a squall.

Sometimes, if conditions are good, it will pick up other objects, like fishing pots/flags and floating debris.

It is a BIG aid during night watches.

Disadvantages of RADAR

It won’t give you the name of the ship,

Your boat’s movement affects the targets, and they move around on the screen, so calculations like CPA, which you can do with radar, are sometimes spurious because of the movement of the boat.

It’s range is only line-of-sight.

It can suffer from interference, both internal and external.

Sometimes there is too much “clutter” – unwanted echoes bouncing off the target

It can be jammed, intentionally or by accident (if another person is operating equipment using the same frequency range).

Bigger the vessel, the larger the target – conversely, smaller vessels can be more difficult to see, if at all.

Radar can only show you the solid object, not the vessel behind it.

RADAR for yachties

Until recently radar required its own screen and did not use data protocols like NMEA to share information to other systems like chart-plotters (but this has now changed).

Traditionally radar was power-intensive but again, with the development of 4G radar, we’ve got around this problem.

Radar is usually a lot more expensive than AIS.

Which is better?

Neither! Both radar and AIS can be invaluable in accessing a potential collision threat and we absolutely recommend using the two together.

We often overlay both radar and AIS on our chart plotter and it’s always interesting to see what each picks up. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the boat ahead is the AIS target you see on your plotter when the radar could be telling another story.

There is no such thing as ‘right of way’. Stand on/stand off, but ultimately exercise caution at the earliest opportunity and avoid ships as best you can, irrespective of who is supposed to be the stand on vessel.

Conclusions

We should emphasize that collision avoidance should start with your eyes. Do not rely solely on electronic equipment.

Don’t be afraid to get on the radio to ensure the vessel you can see has seen you. So call up that 300m cargo ship on ch16 when it’s ten miles away. AIS gives you the name and the MMSI number so if you don’t get a response on 16 you can always use digital selective calling if you have it. We find most commercial skippers to be accommodating and professional.

If we had to choose ONLY ONE, which would it be?

Radar!

Do you agree? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

If none of the above floats your boat, please consider supporting us by clicking an icon below and sharing this post. Cheers!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/ais-or-radar-which-one-must-you-have/feed/0We’re back!https://followtheboat.com/were-back/
https://followtheboat.com/were-back/#respondSat, 18 May 2019 20:16:57 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=38649Followtheboat blog is back! The last six months have been intense, with lots going on in the UK and on board SY Esper...]]>

Hello old friends! How have you been? For us, the last eight months since Liz’s dad died have been pretty intense, with lots going on in the UK and on board SY Esper. Now and then we’ve been able to capture some of the trials, tribulations and excitement on social media (Facebook and Instagram). But apart from YouTube videos, we’ve had to wind down our output, which has meant few opportunities to post anywhere except Patreon. BUT, all that is about to change…

We have added all the missing posts, which cover preparing the boat for its longest passage in some years, making our farewells to Thailand, dealing with problems back in the UK and heading to Sumatra and Borneo via the recently devastated Anak Krakatoa.

We have missed you and are raring to get going again here on the blog.

Right now all is well here on SY Esper – Millie still loves fish, Liz is still trying to catch fish, and Jamie’s still filming fish…

If none of the above floats your boat, please consider supporting us by clicking an icon below and sharing this post. Cheers!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/were-back/feed/0This is Sumatra, but are those pirates or fishermen?https://followtheboat.com/this-is-sumatra-but-are-they-pirates-or-fishermen/
https://followtheboat.com/this-is-sumatra-but-are-they-pirates-or-fishermen/#respondSat, 18 May 2019 00:28:01 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=38890We're in Sumatran waters now and piracy continues to plague seafarers, so what does it mean when a fishing boat follows and circles you for some miles in open water?]]>

We’re in Sumatran waters now where piracy continues to plague seafarers, so what does it mean when a fishing boat follows and circles you for several miles offshore? Innocent fishermen amused by a flying octopus? Dodgy pirates viewing SY Esperfull of potential bounty? What could these locals want from us? Maybe an FTB t-shirt, and who wouldn’t want one of those?!

With over 200nm to cover off, it was a bit of a slog on the engine. But we amused ourselves by flying our new light-wind sail for the first time and released “the Kraken”! Our aim was to get to the western Sumatran islands.

‘The Kraken’ – our new Code 0

We made it to ‘Calm Bay’, a secluded little creek inside a fringing reef that offers good protection in calm waters. And as it was Jamie’s birthday we opened some Australian bubbly – without spilling a drop!

Now in the ‘tsunami zone’, every anchorage from hereon was affected either by the 2004 tsunami or the ensuing earthquake three months later. This is clearly evident in Calm Bay where Jamie explored a huge devastated reef on the south eastern tip.

Dress like a fisherman! Check out our t-shirts!

Liz, meanwhile, made friends with some local fishermen. Our stock of FTB t-shirts were starting to come in handy as presents for our seafaring neighbours. They’re going down a treat!

If none of the above floats your boat, please considersupporting us by clicking an icon below and sharing this post. Cheers!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/this-is-sumatra-but-are-they-pirates-or-fishermen/feed/05 ways to beat seasickness!https://followtheboat.com/5-ways-to-beat-seasickness/
https://followtheboat.com/5-ways-to-beat-seasickness/#respondTue, 14 May 2019 08:55:40 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=38707The truth about seasickness. What causes seasickness? What is the best cure? We have the answers!]]>

In the third video covering our voyage from Thailand to Krakatoa, we hit some churning Indian Ocean swell. And it got us thinking about the perennial problem of seasickness.Neither of us is prone to this scourge, but in some situations we can begin to feel a bit “off”, so what do we do? And what do others do? Being followtheboat, the only response was to make a video about this topic. And just for our blog subscribers, we have added the notes Liz made as she researched and talked to people about their experiences.

What is seasickness?

and pray to the porcelain god as we hurtle along the track at an amusement park.

It’s all the same. It’s all what’s medically known as kinetosis.

When we have nervous crew or guests on board, they can talk themselves into being seasick. We tell them to eat lots of wine gums or gummy bears. When asked if this works we say “no, but it makes your puke more fun for us to see as it looks like a lava lamp!”

Women Who Sail Facebook Group

What causes it?

When we focus on something stationary like a phone, screen or book (on a boat it might be the guard rail, heads door, chart plotter) our eyes tell our brain we’re not moving.

At the same time our balancing mechanism (the inner ear), along with our muscles, tell our brains that we are most definitely moving.

As our brain struggles to understand these conflicting messages it responds with a raft of stress-related hormones that can lead to nausea, headaches, dizziness, shivering, sweating etc

Why do some people get it and not others?

No-one really knows. But it is reckoned that around 90% of people suffer from it at some point…although 50% of people will tell you they’re never sick. (Someone’s lying!)

Some of us are more prone to it than others. And some of us get it worse than others. Hardened fishermen, professional mariners, as well as racers, cruisers and weekend sailors are all susceptible to this scourge.

One of the best-known sufferers was Admiral Nelson!

I haven’t tried it yet but I recently read that wearing an eye patch over one eye helps because without depth perception your mind stops trying to keep things in focus. An old pirate cure?

Women Who Sail Facebook Group

Is there any good news?

It won’t kill you!

It does go away

There are lots of ways to tackle the problem.

One of the following ways might work for you…

I used to always be seasick with rolling waves except for once when the other person on board was sick. It was as if someone had to be able to get the work done, and the brain decided unconsciously it was not the time to be sick.

Women Who Sail Facebook Group

1. The pharmaceutical way

Medicines for nausea are called antiemetics. Seasickness drugs like Dramamine and Stugeron can be bought over the shelf. There are plenty of others, so chat to a pharmacist to find the right one for you.

They work by counteracting the effect of chemicals released by the brain during seasickness.

Patches are an alternative to capsules and tablets.

The DRAWBACK with these kinds of cures is that they contain antihistamines, so cause drowsiness, not always useful if you plan to do some serious sailing.

When we are on top of a swell, I stretch my body up; when rolling, I sort of hula dance sideways! After about an hour or so, I’m fine!

WWS Facebook Group

2. The home-made way

All things ginger – We use Liz’s home-made ginger tea all day (slice up about a thumb’s worth of fresh ginger and pour boiling water over it, we use a litre vacuum flask). Many swear by ginger biscuits, cake or anything ginger!

Mint generally is good for settling the stomach, so try sucking a mint – or chewing gum!

Take deep breaths in through your nose and blow out through your mouth – a technique for reducing anxiety.

My seasickness is subconsciously rooted in anxiety, so I use the ‘tapping’ method, where I gently tap my face. It’s an anxiety tool that brings you to the present moment.

Women Who Sail Facebook Group

3. The alternative way

Homeopathy “Homeopathic remedy cocculus 30c. Take 30 min before getting on the boat, nothing in your mouth for 20 min before or after the remedy.” WWS Facebook Group

Essential oil of peppermint – just a drop rubbed into the skin

Lavender oil might work too.

Acupuncture – acupressure wristbands can be found in a pharmacy.

Weed – some say it works a treat. Neither of us has tried it as a cure, but Jamie thinks it might work – Liz thinks it’ll just make her sick!

4. The practical way

Look at the horizon and face forward – this helps your brain to reconcile your motion and vision, and staves off symptoms of motion sickness.

Keep busy/occupied and try to forget about feeling sick.

Get on the helm! It’s never the car driver who is sick, it’s always the passenger…

Stay on deck, going down below will make things much worse.Breathe in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth.

FOOD AND DRINK are obviously important in trying to combat seasickness. But what, how much and how often?

If you have any suspicion that you might become seasick, eat something you’d like to develop less of a taste for. I’ve only ever been seasick once in my life. But I have not been able to eat oatmeal since losing mine over the side of the boat.”

Women Who Sail Facebook Group

Some say you should line the stomach before stepping on board – but not with anything too stodgy or too spicy. And don’t fill your tummy.

Eating small amounts of slow burning foods like crackers and oatcakes.

Oranges and extra vitamin C are reckoned to keep the histamines away and we know a number of people who swear by green apples. On the other hand, Jamie finds anything too lemony will make him slightly queasy.

Coffee is not good, and that probably goes for tea too. Stick with water, soda or infusions (particularly ginger).

Make light meals ahead of time so it’s just grab and go, so you’re not down below for too long!

Sandra Renwick SV Secondwind

RELAX! One of the biggest problems is anxiety – worrying about being sick, worrying about being on a boat, worrying if you’ll be sick. That’s why having something to do or concentrate on is good.

Stay upright and try not to put your head horizontal until your inner ear has adjusted…

Lie down and close your eyes!”

After cruising full time for two years, I’ve found I get sea sick on rough upwind passages, but downwind (even in rough or rolly conditions) I’m fine. So our solution is to only ever sail downwind.

Women Who Sail Facebook Group

5. The magical way

Put one ear-plug in one ear. Some say it should be the opposite side to the hand you write with, so left ear if you’re right-handed. Loads of people have told us this and swear by it. We’ve never seen it in practise, but it’s gotta be worth a try?

BONUS WAY: The ONE method which always works…

A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree – Spike Milligan

CONCLUSION

There are many ways to treat seasickness, and some conflicting advice.

It’s all about finding out what works for YOU. There is no right or wrong way.

Anxiety can play a big part in delaying recovery: remain calm, breathe, and remember that it won’t kill you.

By the time you’ve tried all these remedies, your seasickness will probably have disappeared!

If we’ve missed out your favourite method please share it in the comments below. And do share your seasick stories too!

If none of the above floats your boat, please consider supporting us by clicking an icon below and sharing this post. Cheers!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/5-ways-to-beat-seasickness/feed/0Hello Sabang, Indonesia!https://followtheboat.com/hello-sabang-indonesia/
https://followtheboat.com/hello-sabang-indonesia/#respondFri, 10 May 2019 01:34:53 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=38781We love local food and found some wonderful places to eat, but when you come across an illicit bar selling beer and pizza it's difficult to pass up the opportunity!]]>

After an eventful passage from Thailand to Sabang it was time to check in and take a look round Pulau Weh, Sabang. The island shares the same archipelago as the Nicobars and Andamans. Although small at 156km2, it’s a popular tourist destination for locals, divers and sailors. The Sabang Marine Festival, usually held in April, has put the island on the map for SE Asia’s cruisers. Few venture further south.

Of course the best way to see an island like this is to hire a scooter and go for a cruise around. Even though our visit was brief (we had only 60 days ahead of us to cover one thousand miles of beaches, reefs, anchorages and villages between here and Jakarta) we managed a complete circuit.

Sabang is in the state of Aceh, which is dry, so no bars or beers were to be had. We love eating local food and found some wonderful places to eat, but when you come across an illicit bar selling beer and pizza it’s difficult to pass up the opportunity!

Pulau Weh is at the very tip of Indonesia and is marked by a monument at “Kilometer Zero”, aka the end of Indonesia. For us, though, it marked the beginning of Indonesia!

Without the help of locals, Nani and Budi, it would have taken us a lot longer to get to know the island and its special places. If you’re thinking of sailing there, we recommend you contact them beforehand – they’ll help smooth your way, and introduce you to some real local culture. Contact them here: trisnani.m@gmail.com

If none of the above floats your boat, please consider supporting us by clicking an icon below and sharing this post. Cheers!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/hello-sabang-indonesia/feed/0To Sumatra, at last!https://followtheboat.com/to-sumatra-at-last/
https://followtheboat.com/to-sumatra-at-last/#respondFri, 03 May 2019 00:52:03 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=38704The last time we had been in this area was in 2013 when we made our emergency sail from the Maldives to Langkawi, after a gale damaged SY Esper]]>

It’s been in the planning for two years, and we’re so excited to be on our way. The first leg was a 225 mile crossing to Palau Weh from Phuket.The last time we had been in this area was in 2013 when we made our emergency sail from the Maldives to Langkawi, after a gale damaged SY Esper and cut short our plans to sail to South Africa.This time we would be better prepared…

Two days and nights of weird water made this first passage a little more interesting than we had anticipated. We’ve sailed through turbulence, counter currents, eddies and overfalls before, but nothing like this. Every few miles we crossed a ‘river’ of strangely behaving water which stretched as far as we could see from east to west.

If anyone can explain how and why the seas are behaving in this particular way we’d love to hear from you!

The next few months of sailing the west coast of Sumatra to Krakatoa are going to be FANTASTIC! Desert islands, friendly locals, surfing madness, dolphins, fishing, AIS scare, pirate scare, lightning scares and the biggest scare of them all – Anak Krakatoa! Woah, can’t believe we’re doing this, but it’s gonna be great.

So this is the start of our 8,500 passage to the Pacific North West. The first leg takes us on a two thousand mile passage along the west coast of Sumatra to Krakatoa, then Jakarta and north to Tioman. And after that, it’s east to Borneo via the Anambas… We should be there by September/October. Phew!

Fasten your seat-belts, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!

We look forward to having you along for the journey, and hope you will comment here or on YouTube as each video episode is uploaded. There will be bonus posts here on the blog, and more detail about each episode, along with anything else which inspires us to write!

Patrons get to catch up a week before everyone else, and we also try to update Facebook and Instagram as often as possible (not so hot on Twitter, we need to sort that out!). Going forward we will also keep the blog bang up to date (internet connection permitting). So please comment here, we LOVE hearing from you.

If none of the above floats your boat, please consider supporting us by clicking an icon below and sharing this post. Cheers!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/thailand-to-krakatoa/feed/0Installing lithium batteries and an induction hobhttps://followtheboat.com/installing-lithium-batteries-and-an-induction-hob/
https://followtheboat.com/installing-lithium-batteries-and-an-induction-hob/#respondFri, 15 Mar 2019 10:22:35 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=38696Those new solar panels were delivering loads more power to SY Esper so we made the decision to move to lithium batteries.
It's something we've thought about for a long time...]]>

Those new solar panels were delivering loads more power to SY Esper so we made the decision to move to lithium batteries. It’s something we’ve thought about for a long time, and as the technology has improved, it seemed the right thing to do. We reckoned we would be able to put them in while getting on with last minute jobs and fixing that broken dodger…and removing the gas while changing our stove to an induction hob. Little jobs like that.

We were nearly ready to leave, but then a catastrophe! Our UK tenants decided to give us notice. So Liz rushed back to London to find new people as soon as possible.

Our sailing window was closing and our new Indonesian visas were about to expire. Leaving Jamie on his own to get all the jobs finished for the 2000 mile passage, Liz set off with a heavy heart. It would be a big ask to find and settle new tenants in three weeks… Back in Krabi there was still plenty to do, but now only one of us to do it.

Many thanks to Paul of OCTOPUS ASIA in Phuket for answering all our questions, for helping with the installation, and for generally being great! Email: service@octopusasia.com Website: http://www.octopusasia.com/

If none of the above floats your boat, please consider supporting us by clicking an icon below and sharing this post. Cheers!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/installing-lithium-batteries-and-an-induction-hob/feed/0And back to Thailand for repairs…https://followtheboat.com/back-for-repairs/
https://followtheboat.com/back-for-repairs/#respondFri, 01 Mar 2019 09:57:19 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=38691With a broken dodger, a new sail to collect and new batteries to be installed, we hoofed it back to Thailand.]]>

With a broken dodger, a new sail to collect and new batteries to be installed, we hoofed it back to Krabi. But before we left Thailand, we thought we would take a last look at one of the best sailing destinations in the world, a place we fell in love with. We even managed to find a few anchorages we had not seen in the five years we have been here…

The passage from Langkawi to Phang Nga Bay, via the Butang islands, is full of stunning anchorages. Those limestone karsts and cliffs, even after all this time, still fill us with awe and amazement. There’s nowhere like it.

And for the first time in a long while Liz caught a fish…then another one…then another one… Nobody was happier than Millie when we had fish for supper that night!

And while we were getting those jobs finished, Jamie’s mum and dad came to visit us at Krabi Boat Lagoon marina. So we put the work on hold for two weeks and played at being tourists.

Krabi town and province has so much to offer! If you get the chance we’d recommend having a look round – smaller and less developed than Phuket, it’s not too busy and has a genuine chilled vibe. But steer clear of Ao Nang, which has become a tourist ghetto…

We were supposed to be ready to leave for Sumatra by late January, but first there were a few jobs that needed finishing. Our new solar panels were waiting for us at Pangkor, so that meant a fast sail south.

Little did we know what lay ahead of us… storms, lightning, catching and eating sea cockroaches, Jamie getting another flesh-eating wound, being turfed out of Penang, Esper hitting the bottom, breaking the dodger!

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/last-visit-to-west-coast-malaysia/feed/0The fastest sail we’ve ever had in Thailand!https://followtheboat.com/the-fastest-sail-weve-ever-had-in-thailand/
https://followtheboat.com/the-fastest-sail-weve-ever-had-in-thailand/#respondThu, 13 Dec 2018 09:44:00 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=38668When we last left you we had left Krabi Marina with our brand new dodger and were heading south to Malaysia. It was so good to be out on the water again!]]>

When we last left you we had left Krabi Marina with our brand new dodger and were heading south to Malaysia, where our array of new solar panels were waiting to be installed. It was so good to be out on the water again!

Along the way we had the BEST SAIL EVER in five years of living in SE Asia!

Before reaching Langkawi, we couldn’t resist stopping off at Ko Tarutao, one of the hidden gems in this region, seldom spoilt by tourism…

If none of the above floats your boat, please consider supporting us by clicking an icon below and sharing this post. Cheers!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/the-fastest-sail-weve-ever-had-in-thailand/feed/0Bring on the squalls!https://followtheboat.com/bring-on-the-squalls/
https://followtheboat.com/bring-on-the-squalls/#commentsSat, 03 Nov 2018 13:51:54 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37275As the rain came towards us and the speed climbed to 25+kts, we took it straight on the nose. ]]>

As the squall approached, we reached for our foul weather gear…

It had been a sunny, relaxing morning when we took up the anchor to sail south towards Malaysia. But this is the transitional period when the SW monsoon gives way to the NE blow. The wind can change in an instant, sometimes bringing blue skies, but more often than not unleashing rolling squalls across the sea.

We had no idea how the new dodger would perform, so to be on the safe side we put on our foul-weather gear. Even though it never dips below 27 Celsius here even at night, when that wind and rain blows straight at you out on the water it can get cold very quickly. We poured some tea, put our jackets in the cockpit and prepared the lines.

As the rain came towards us and the speed climbed to 25+kts, we took it straight on the nose. By now the squall was in full throttle and it looked like a big one. On the radar, we were able to see the extent of the rain directly in front of us.

But we were dry! The dodger was doing its job, and we didn’t need our wet weather gear at all. This was the first time in 12 years while sailing in rain that we had been completely bone dry. Why hadn’t we put this dodger on before?

The rain continued for an hour or so, and when it stopped the sea was still churning. It would stay like that until we reached our destination, Koh Kradan. It always takes around four hours for the waves to calm down once the squalls round here pass.

As we reached Koh Kradan we passed round to the eastern side where the swell was flattened in the shelter of the island. As it is currently the off season, there were no other sailboats around, just a couple of fishermen taking shelter. On the beach there are a few small resorts, but we decided to have a couple of drinks on board and wait to see the island in the morning.

As we relaxed we watched a charter boat come into the bay from the windward side, and anchor at the other end to us. Very decent of them. They launched the dinghy and motored over towards us. It turned out that Sav and Theresa follow us on YouTube and wanted to say hello. And what made it even better was they brought rum! We had a brilliant night on board Esper, and in the morning joined them for breakfast on their boat. Good times!

In no rush to go, we decided to stay for another day, and Jamie went snorkeling. The coral is fairly limited, but he found some and quite a few tropical fish enjoying shelter there.

In the later afternoon we took the dinghy ashore to an ‘Italian’ restaurant where we had ‘pizza’. The place was pretty, the staff were lovely and we met a new friend, Chuck. Sadly, the pizzas were doughy and tasteless, we should have stuck with the local food…

]]>https://followtheboat.com/bring-on-the-squalls/feed/2LIFERAFT SURVIVAL Pt 3: Search and Rescuehttps://followtheboat.com/liferaft-survival-pt-3-search-and-rescue/
https://followtheboat.com/liferaft-survival-pt-3-search-and-rescue/#commentsSat, 03 Nov 2018 13:50:56 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37254Imagine if the unthinkable happens and you have to ABANDON SHIP? What should you do as soon as you are in the liferaft? ]]>

What are the four basic requirements for survival in a liferaft?

Imagine if the unthinkable happens and you have to ABANDON SHIP? What should you do as soon as you are in the liferaft? If the seas are are heavy, it is likely you will be exhausted. The craft may roll several times, and you may be thrown out. Even the saltiest of sailors is likely to be sick. What should your priorities be? And how can you do everything to ensure a successful rescue?

One of our Patrons is an SAR (search and rescue) helicopter pilot, with 25 years experience in the RAF and working out of Australia. So we were thrilled when Kevin Berry agreed to explain his tried and tested tactics for liferaft survival and what you should expect when the rescue team turns up.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/liferaft-survival-pt-3-search-and-rescue/feed/1We’re back sailing, woohoo!https://followtheboat.com/were-back-sailing-woohoo/
https://followtheboat.com/were-back-sailing-woohoo/#respondSat, 03 Nov 2018 13:49:59 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37265Navionics says you can't access this 'lake' surrounded on all sides by mangroves and limestone hills, but there is a way in... Just shows you what a little bit of local knowledge from those that live here can teach you. ]]>

We’re back. We’re out of the marina. We’re ready for the next adventure! And we have a new theme tune! Coming?!

The dodger’s finished. The rigging’s been inspected. And all the other work has come to an end at Krabi Boat Lagoon, so we’re off, back to swinging on the hook again, and we couldn’t be more excited.

After a difficult few months, we are all ready to feel the sweet sea breeze on our faces.

First stop Ko Jum (or Ko Pu, same, same but different…) a stunning hidden anchorage just 20 miles down the coast. Navionics says you can’t access this ‘lake’ surrounded on all sides by mangroves and limestone hills, but there is a way in… Just shows you what a little bit of local knowledge from those that live here can teach you.

It was just a gentle motor sail to this hidden beauty spot, and once the anchor was down we kicked back and relaxed. A few fishermen in longtails were trolling their nets, but once they finished we listened to…silence.

Eagles and Brahminy kites flew across the water, sometimes picking up a meal, while the mangroves trilled with birdsong. Millie settled on her throne and all was right with the world.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/were-back-sailing-woohoo/feed/0Win a trip on Esper for two!https://followtheboat.com/win-a-trip-on-esper-for-two/
https://followtheboat.com/win-a-trip-on-esper-for-two/#respondSat, 03 Nov 2018 13:48:23 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37276All the winner has to do is make their way to us, and we'll do the rest!]]>

We’re inviting one person and a friend to stay on Esper. Want to know how?

It’s easy! Buy us ONE coffee every month, and YOU can win the chance to come stay with us!

So how do I do that?

Become a Patron from as little as $2 per month!

And what’s a ‘Patron’?

Patrons are regular viewers who enjoy our videos.

Patrons support us to update and upgrade our camera equipment, connect to wifi through our cell phones, subscribe to editing software and music libraries… and all those other hidden outgoings.

Patrons encourage us to continue to grow and improve, and to ensure we upload regularly.

Tell me more…

When we reach the next ‘goal’ (target) on Patreon, everyone from a Deckhand to an Admiral has the chance to send us a two minute video about why we should pick them to come stay with us.

Our favourite answer wins!

To qualify you must have been our Patron for at least three months. But time’s running out for this next goal because we are 70% of the way there already!

Where do I sign up?

If you like what we do, and want to share a cup of coffee with us each month you could end up sailing on Esper one day. And wouldn’t that be cool?

We can’t wait to meet our winner!

Peace and fair winds, friends!

Love,

Liz, Jamie and Millie xxx

]]>https://followtheboat.com/win-a-trip-on-esper-for-two/feed/0LIFERAFT SURVIVAL Pt 2: How to choose a liferafthttps://followtheboat.com/liferaft-survival-pt-2-how-to-choose-a-liferaft/
https://followtheboat.com/liferaft-survival-pt-2-how-to-choose-a-liferaft/#commentsSat, 03 Nov 2018 12:35:07 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37241It is very difficult for anyone wearing wet clothes and an inflated lifejacket to board a liferaft from the water, particularly if there is no one else inside to help them. An inflatable step or ramp outside the main opening makes it much easier.]]>

We knew our old liferaft was pretty basic, and probably would not be up to the task if we were to ditch in the Pacific. So what should we replace it with?

We found out just how badly we needed to replace our old one when we tested it in Part 1 of this Liferaft Survival mini series. After discovering just how difficult it was to get into a liferaft from the water, we were glad we had gone ahead and bought a new one with a higher spec.

The Royal Yachting Association website seemed as good a place as any to start looking for advice. This is what they say about the features to consider when choosing your liferaft.

Stability

Most liferafts are fitted with a number of water-ballast bags around the underside. These should be large, strongly constructed and fitted with a weight that will ensure they fill with water quickly when the liferaft is launched. As a minimum look for four water ballast bags, that make a total capacity of not less than 25 litres per person or 160 litres, whichever is the greater.

A drogue, or sea anchor, is also essential for stability. Drogues are often made of porous material and have short shroud-lines to reduce the risk of tangling. The drogue attachment line must be long (at least 30m) and should be 6mm nylon. The drogue should be streamed as soon as possible after the liferaft has been launched.

Canopy

An automatically erecting canopy is highly desirable. As well as protecting the crew from cold or the sun, the canopy and support arch should prevent total inversion if the liferaft inflates upside down or is capsized by a wave.

Boarding Aid

It is very difficult for anyone wearing wet clothes and an inflated lifejacket to board a liferaft from the water, particularly if there is no one else inside to help them. An inflatable step or ramp outside the main opening makes it much easier.

Two-compartment buoyancy provision

This allows one or other of the buoyancy compartments to be damaged without compromising the buoyancy of the whole liferaft.

Inflatable floor

A double floor, which is inflatable with a pump gives very good protection against the cold.

A partially inflatable floor, which provides an insulating ring around the edge of the liferaft where the survivors sit, is a good compromise

A thermo-reflective insulated floor can also be considered.

But you don’t just have to rely on the RYA, there are many resources online. Try a Google search for more information, and check out YouTube for demonstrations and more ideas.

Up until recently, a new liferaft was beyond our means, and saving up for one was going to set our departure date back quite considerably. So when a fantastic benefactor (who wishes to remain anonymous) insisted on buying us one as a gift, we were humbled by their generosity and kindness. Thank you, thank you, thank you: you know who you are.

So what did we choose?

All this information led us to the Viking RescYou Pro, the 4 person version. With the added bonus of being available in Thailand, so no additional shipping fees, it was a no-brainer.

The key features which Viking list cover off all the advice given by the RYA:

Fluorescent yellow canopy enhances visibility from a distance

Two separate buoyancy chambers, each capable of supporting maximum capacity

Four 55 liter weighted ballast bags for stability in heavy seas

SOLAS high-visibility retro-reflective tape on canopy, sides buoyancy chambers and under the liferaft

Automatic SOLAS/USCG exterior strobe light and interior light

Internal and external lifelines

Rain water collector

Base material of strong, flexible, natural rubber

We opted for the additional security of a Hammar H20 hydrostatic release unit for emergencies. It releases the liferaft at any angle when it is submerged between 1.5 – 4m and will give you a fighting chance of a survival in case of a catastrophic sinking.

Alister Dickson, a YouTube viewer, said, “As an ex-survival instructor to the oil industry… I would say you get what you pay for. Most professional oil/marine companies use Viking – quite expensive? Yes, but worth it.”

Thanks to all our FTB Mates from Patreon and the Rum Fund for your continued support. You keep us motivated and focused. We love you!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/liferaft-survival-pt-2-how-to-choose-a-liferaft/feed/1LIFERAFT SURVIVAL Pt 1: We didn’t know this would happen!https://followtheboat.com/liferaft-survival-pt-1/
https://followtheboat.com/liferaft-survival-pt-1/#commentsSat, 03 Nov 2018 11:35:28 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37229Even in these benign conditions it proved to be a much tougher exercise than we imagined. In a bucking ocean at night it would be nearly impossible, and we would soon run out of energy. ]]>

In the first episode of our mini series on liferaft survival, we demonstrate just how easy it is to get into a liferaft from the water…

As we upgrade our sailboat safety kit for the long passage ahead, we thought it would be a good idea to test our liferaft. So on a broiling, tropical afternoon we donned our wet weather gear and jumped into the pool to see just how easy it would be to get into and use the liferaft.

We didn’t put Millie through this exercise, but instead used her carry case and put Clive, Liz’s stuffed toy cat, to replicate her (sort of). Clive didn’t do very well, so we are busy coming up with a plan for Millie in a similar situation. She needs to be contained because those claws and teeth would rip through most materials, and she would be in ‘fight or flight’ mode.

We are looking for a floating container which we will be able to strap to one of us as we swim. Of course, Millie will also be wearing her PFD. At the moment it looks like we will have to make one for her out of an existing holder and pool noodles… Unless you have any suggestions?

Even in these benign conditions the exercise proved to be much tougher than we had imagined. In a bucking ocean at night it would be nearly impossible, and we would soon run out of energy. If we had to abandon ship we would try everything to get into the liferaft from deck rather than from the water.

We asked Mimi and Kevin of SV Aquabego to join us, because we wanted to get a feel of what it was like to have more than two people in a six person dinghy. Despite not wearing foul weather gear, you can see in the video how difficult it was for Mimi to get in. We’d like to thank these guys for joining us, and for adding a little levity to a difficult test.

Mimi jumps in to give us a hand…

We have already bought a higher spec liferaft, so many of the problems we encountered in the pool should be minimised, but it has made us think much more about the difficulties we would encounter if we had to abandon SY Esper at sea.

This was a good example of learning about potential problems through first-hand experience, and we would like to suggest that if you are ever offered the chance to take a survival at sea course like those run by the Royal Yachting Association, grab it with both hands.

Thanks to all our FTB Mates from Patreon and the Rum Fund for your continued support. You keep us motivated and focused. We love you!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/liferaft-survival-pt-1/feed/3We’re back in the water!https://followtheboat.com/were-back-in-the-water/
https://followtheboat.com/were-back-in-the-water/#respondSat, 06 Oct 2018 08:00:26 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37172And since we're in the water, how about servicing our watermaker and replacing the membranes too? ]]>

We’re in the water, and it feels GREAT!!!

We’re now so close to leaving and we’re getting super excited. The weather has been unusually sunny and calm, which is odd for this time of year. We can’t guarantee it’ll hold out like this for our departure but with just the canvas work and a bit of stainless to go, there really isn’t much left to do. We’ve pencilled in ‘some time next week’ for our departure, but don’t tell everyone. A sailor’s plans, remember, are written in the sand…

Of course there are really a hundred jobs left to do on the boat, but these are listed as ‘can be done at anchor’, and it’s at anchor that we’re aiming for. There’s light at the end of the tunnel and we can see a palm-fringed island at the end of it.

And since we’re in the water, how about servicing our watermaker and replacing the membranes too? It’s a job Jamie’s been putting off, because those new membranes are pretty fiddly. And we haven’t needed to use the watermaker for some months. But he rolled up his sleeves, and brought the beast up into his worktop (the cockpit!) where he began the process of dismantling, servicing and replacing. Click this link to see the whole day in one minute:

Click for one minute video!

Thanks to all our FTB Mates for your continued support. You keep us motivated and focused. We love you!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/were-back-in-the-water/feed/0Next passage: west coast of Sumatra to Krakatoa!https://followtheboat.com/to-sumatra-via-krakatoa/
https://followtheboat.com/to-sumatra-via-krakatoa/#commentsFri, 05 Oct 2018 07:30:28 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37174Since we will be ready to leave after Christmas, we thought it would be interesting to start early, and begin our adventure via a 2500 mile detour round the west coast of remote Sumatra.]]>

Are we still on track with our passage plan to Alaska via Japan?

Yes, we are! Earlier in the year in March Liz walked us through the passage plan and you may remember that we expected to leave Thailand in April 2019. That’s still very do-able, if anything we are ahead of ourselves.

In case you haven’t already watched, click this image to see the full passage plan explained, with maps:

Passage plan to Alaska via Japan

So, since we will be ready to leave after Christmas, we thought it would be interesting to start early, and begin our adventure via a 2500 mile detour round the west coast of remote Sumatra.

The usual route east takes you through the Malacca Strait, round Singapore and over to Borneo, but you can’t do that until the SW monsoon sets in May/June. And besides that, we’ve been that way before! So we are planning to start early by sailing to Jakarta, then to Kuching in Borneo. This will mean crossing the equator for the first time on board SY Esper!

Leaving Phuket in February, we will make our way south along west coast Sumatra, past all those surfing destinations, through the Sunda Strait via Krakatoa to Jakarta. Then we will head over to Kuching, taking in islands in the Java Sea and South China Sea along the way.

While we travel, we hope to capture footage and images of places seldom seen by cruisers. Although the west coast is a good jumping off point for crossing the Indian Ocean, sailboats seldom cruise the entire coast.

It is likely we will have to adapt as the voyage progresses. Weather, natural phenomena, political changes and other unforeseen circumstances mean we may have to alter the route slightly. For those interested in specifics, here are the co-ordinates:

]]>https://followtheboat.com/to-sumatra-via-krakatoa/feed/4Sailboat dodger revealed!https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-dodger-revealed/
https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-dodger-revealed/#respondFri, 05 Oct 2018 07:00:48 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37168All the design and build work is completed, now we're just waiting for the Sunbrella to be fitted.]]>

The dodger is finished! Well, nearly…

All the design and build work is completed, now we’re just waiting for the Sunbrella to be fitted.

The cockpit sides will be filled in with removable canvas/clears and blinds, and we’re also having a full enclosure made for the rear when we reach those colder destinations.

There are still a few jobs to be done, like servicing the watermaker, tidying up a few rigging issues, putting rubber around the hatches, and what we can’t get finished here will be completed along the way.

Side view

In the short term, though, it’s bright and clear underneath our new hard top, with plenty of room and great visibility, and taking off that cover and sitting under the dodger for the first time was worth the wait. We hope you agree.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-dodger-revealed/feed/0Sunset over the mangroves at Krabi Boat Lagoonhttps://followtheboat.com/sunset-over-the-mangroves-at-krabi-boat-lagoon/
https://followtheboat.com/sunset-over-the-mangroves-at-krabi-boat-lagoon/#respondThu, 04 Oct 2018 09:18:08 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37205Hidden inland and surrounded by mangroves, Krabi Boat Lagoon is about as far away from the "Tourist Thailand" of popular imagination as you can get. ]]>

Although isolation sometimes has its drawbacks for a marina, the pluses are spectacular sunrises and sunsets stretching into a vast horizon.

Hidden inland and surrounded by mangroves, Krabi Boat Lagoon is about as far away from the “Tourist Thailand” of popular imagination as you can get. Luckily, with Jamie’s Mavic Pro drone we can capture some of the wild vastness of the area.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/sunset-over-the-mangroves-at-krabi-boat-lagoon/feed/0Which of these boats could you live on?https://followtheboat.com/which-of-these-boats-could-you-live-on/
https://followtheboat.com/which-of-these-boats-could-you-live-on/#respondThu, 04 Oct 2018 07:23:30 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37164While we were in Krabi Boat Lagoon, four of the boats had a mini race in the mangroves. It was a great opportunity to see these sailboats in action on the water, and to discuss their merits as liveaboard world cruisers.]]>

What makes a good liveaboard cruiser boat?

If you were going to live on a boat, what boat should you buy? Which sailboat ticks all the boxes, or is it a case of ‘horses for courses’?

While we were in Krabi Boat Lagoon, four of the boats had a mini race in the mangroves. It was a great opportunity to see these sailboats in action on the water, and to discuss their merits as liveaboard world cruisers.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/which-of-these-boats-could-you-live-on/feed/0What’s a Dogger? A Cromarty? And would a German Bight mean Rockall to you?https://followtheboat.com/shipping-forecast/
https://followtheboat.com/shipping-forecast/#respondSat, 29 Sep 2018 07:39:40 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37120The BBC Radio 4 Shipping Forecast is as English as tea with the Queen, cricket on the village green, warm beer in the pub or fish 'n' chips wrapped in paper. ]]>

In the UK we discovered the importance of Suffolk’s role in maritime history!

We also demystified the Shipping Forecast and found out where radar was developed.

Our first weekend was idyllic, spent on the coast of Suffolk re-living Jamie’s childhood holidays. We walked along the shore and played on the pebbly beach at Sizewell with his brothers and nephews, just like he used to as a young boy.

Beautiful Orford

And we visited Orford, a quintessential English seaside village with a castle, an allotment, biscuit-tin houses, olde Englishe pubs and a smokery. Made of fragile vegetated shingle, Orford Ness is operated by the National Trust. It lies opposite Orford and is an internationally renowned site for nature conservation.

Suffolk coast

Formerly administered by the Ministry of Defence, which conducted secret military tests during both world wars and the cold war, it also houses the Orfordness Beacon – one of the earliest experiments in long-range radio navigation now known as radar. That pretty lighthouse you see in the photo montage was discontinued as an aid to navigation in 2013.

Background

In 1859 Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy was so shocked by the loss of 450 lives when the steam clipper, Royal Charter, was wrecked in a storm off Anglesey, that he resolved to do something about it. With better weather prediction (the term ‘forecast’ had yet to be coined), he knew those people could have been saved.

Royal Charter foundering off Anglesey

So in 1861 he introduced a warning system to the British Isles using telegraph communications, with the result that the Meteorological Office was created to continue this tradition to the present day.

Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy

But this wasn’t Fitzroy’s only claim to fame. As well as being an English officer of the Royal Navy, he was a keen amateur scientist. When appointed Captain of HMS Beagle, and conscious of the mental problems associated with the isolation of command, he invited one Charles Darwin to accompany him on the famous exploratory mission.

Shipping Forecast Regions

The waters around the British Isles are divided into 31 sea areas, with poetic names steeped in history and tradition. Try saying them with your best, cut-glass BBC accent:

Viking, Forties, Dogger, Fisher, Sole and Bailey are named after sandbanks.

Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Humber, Thames and Shannon are named after estuaries.

Wight, Lundy, Fair Isle, Faeroes, Portland, Hebrides, South-East Iceland and North and South Utsire are named after islands.

The German Bight is an indentation on the Northern European shoreline.

Dover and Plymouth are named after towns.

Rockall and Fastnet are both named after islets.

Malin is named after Malin Head, the northernmost point of Ireland.

Biscay is named after the Bay of Biscay, and Trafalgar after Cape Trafalgar.

FitzRoy (up until 2001 known as Finisterre) is named after Robert FitzRoy.

Image: Emoscopes – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

The forecast is limited to 350 words and starts with a general synopsis giving position, pressure in millibars and the track of pressure:

Bronze v plastic? Groco v Marelon?

We went shopping in Phuket with American McGee for seacocks and other essentials. Along the way, we visited all the chandleries and stayed at another smart hotel for a knockdown-out-of-season-last-minute-price.

Liz enjoying a night in a swanky hotel…

While we were there Jamie discovered a few things about seacocks and why ours weren’t connecting properly to the skin fittings. We chatted with Ian Lok of East Marine about NPT vs BSP pipe fittings.

Our Groco seacocks are threaded with the NPT (National Pipe Thread) system, which is used in the US and Canada. The tapered thread of the skin fitting wedges into the female seacock. The skin fitting effectively stretches the female fitting and creates a force so that the connection can hold pressure.

Jamie and a big seacock….

Because we’d cut the top off the skin fitting we lost that tapered effect and couldn’t make a seal. What further confused us was that older skin fittings and seacocks on SY Esper were BSPP (British Standard Parallel Pipe). These can be screwed onto the newly cut skin fittings, but they would not make the seal that an NPT fitting is designed to do.

After recording this video we discovered that Groco sell flange adapters to get around this problem, but East Marine did not have these in stock. Groco also sell complete seacock and flange units in one. In hindsight we should have installed these instead.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/seacocks/feed/0WE NEED YOUR HELP!https://followtheboat.com/we-need-your-help/
https://followtheboat.com/we-need-your-help/#commentsThu, 30 Aug 2018 13:11:17 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37094In this episode the diesel leak defeats Liz, Jamie's had enough of trying to get the brand-spanking-new bronze seacocks to fit, and we need your help on the solar panel installation.]]>

How would you set up the charging system for our solar panels?

In this episode the diesel leak defeats Liz, Jamie’s had enough of trying to get the brand-spanking-new bronze seacocks to fit, and we need your help on the solar panel installation.

Liz despairs over the diesel leak…

In other news, Millie goes missing… again. Staying in a room in the marina while the boat work goes on means she is free to roam. But she has a habit of getting stuck in places she shouldn’t.

Return of the cat…

And when Ton cracks the acrylic it becomes a swearing and laughing contest between him, Tui and Jamie.

So we have this brand new array of solar panels on the bimini roof, along both sides of the stern and on top of the davits. They are going to need a considerable amount of new cabling, but how exactly should we tackle this, in particular what circuit breakers should we use and how should they be wired. Jamie takes us through his schematic, and asks for your ideas…

On the bright side, we’ve found a professional boat canvas worker, and he’s a long lost friend of Lek’s – it was quite a reunion.

Sen and Lek reunion…

One last message. We are now in the UK for a couple of weeks because Liz’s lovely dad passed away 23rd August. He was a great man, loved by his family.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/we-need-your-help/feed/4HOW TO INSPECT YOUR RIGGINGhttps://followtheboat.com/inspecting-your-rigging-dyneema-vs-cable/
https://followtheboat.com/inspecting-your-rigging-dyneema-vs-cable/#respondWed, 29 Aug 2018 10:00:01 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36647This is the full interview with Jai, our rigger. He talks about what to look for when inspecting your rigging, whether using Dyneema instead of cable is a good idea, and much more.]]>

What to look for when inspecting your rigging. Should you use Dyneema instead of cable? We share tips from our rigger.

This is the full interview with Jai, our rigger. He talks about what to look for when inspecting your rigging, whether using Dyneema instead of cable is a good idea, and much more.

We start off by looking at Esper’s own rigging, and then talk about general rigging inspection tips and tricks. We also find out quite a bit about why Dyneema is an option for rigging…as long as you do it properly.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/inspecting-your-rigging-dyneema-vs-cable/feed/0SAILBOAT DODGER FAIL!https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-dodger-fail/
https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-dodger-fail/#respondFri, 24 Aug 2018 04:21:32 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37076We wanted to support the local people by using an untried canvas worker... But no-one was really sure they knew what they were doing. Including the canvas guys themselves! ]]>

Can Ton come to the rescue? This week was a big learning curve on FTB…

We wanted to support the local people by using an untried canvas worker… But no-one was really sure they knew what they were doing. Including the canvas guys themselves! As they struggled, Lek stepped in to help while we gave everyone plenty of encouragement. Eventually we took the decision to stop, without anyone losing face. Phew.

And a clever take on the straw policy… “save these straws they will be valuable someday”cfield76

Our part of SE Asia is still in the Dark Ages when it comes to single-use plastic straws, cups and bags. For the moment we ask for no straws with our drinks, but in this instance we failed. So thanks to everyone who pulled us up on being more environmentally friendly.

Our part of SE Asia is still in the Dark Ages when it comes to single-use plastic straws, cups and bags. Until they start using bamboo, papaya, even paper, we refuse straws in our drinks. After all, you don’t really need them at all, do you?

We have been told of a new project to make collapsible steel straws which you can carry in your pocket. Has anyone heard of this? If so, please put a link below, they sound perfect for cruisers.

So this week’s winning entry, in tune with the environmental theme, comes from Bazza Captain, who wrote the most succinct and poignant reminder to us all about saving the oceans:

“The straw that broke the turtle’s sack.”Bazza Captain

If you’re wondering what a turtle’s sack is, Bazza Captain explained to us recently that it is “the little bladder which, when it malfunctions, stops the poor buggers getting down to feed.” A hand-written postcard will be winging its way to him in the post from we three on FTB.

Competition #4 is online NOW, so please check it out and give us your funniest, strangest or most outrageous comments, we can’t wait!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/caption-competition-4/feed/20REPLACING FIVE SEACOCKS & HAULING OUT AGAIN…https://followtheboat.com/replacing-five-seacocks-hauling-out-again/
https://followtheboat.com/replacing-five-seacocks-hauling-out-again/#commentsThu, 16 Aug 2018 09:00:20 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37041So before we went back in the water Jamie checked the seacocks, right? Yeah, but one decided to fail while we were in the water. On the bright side, better it fail here than out at sea...]]>

We reckoned we could replace it in situ, but after a deliberation we decided to replace five of them – all the same age and quality. We really don’t want to be worrying about our seacocks when we’re out in the ocean. So, because we knew it would be a complicated job requiring the removal of skin fittings, it was haul-out time again.

Corroded seacock

Sounds simple, but did we mention that the diesel leak we were so happy to have repaired had come back to bite us in the bum? And there was no fuel in the tanks? This meant being towed to the haul-out crane on the other side of the marina. For the first time ever, we had no control over SY Esper as Riccy and John used their dinghies to get us into the haul-out slip. This was a heart-stopping experience we have no wish to repeat!

Liz comforts Millie as we hang from the crane…again

The dodger is now ready for its canvas, but is the canvas man ready for our dodger? It’s funny to look back and see how hopeful we were then of a quick out and back in…

We’re really hoping we can get back in the water soon. Please throw some positivity our way, could you?

]]>https://followtheboat.com/replacing-five-seacocks-hauling-out-again/feed/1WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BOAT IN A HURRICANE? – YOUR COMMENTS ANSWERED!https://followtheboat.com/what-happens-to-your-boat-in-a-hurricane-your-comments-answered/
https://followtheboat.com/what-happens-to-your-boat-in-a-hurricane-your-comments-answered/#commentsWed, 15 Aug 2018 09:46:00 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=37036Yesterday we went out on a Deben Lugger sailboat into the mangrove river outside Krabi Boat Lagoon. It was a beautiful day for messing about in boats, and a great opportunity to talk through how to prepare your sailboat for storm sailing.]]>

We had so many responses to last week’s episode, that we felt compelled to highlight them in an extra video.

So yesterday we went out on a Deben Lugger sailboat into the mangrove river outside Krabi Boat Lagoon with John of Java Yachting.

It was a beautiful day for messing about in boats, and a great opportunity to talk through some of the excellent comments we received in response to Episode 120.

We asked anyone with experience of sailing in hurricane or typhoon conditions to let us know what happened, and to comment about preparing for a knock down. These are the highlights…

“…Your barrel bolts should be installed with the bolt in the downward position so gravity keeps them locked instead of facing upwards…”
“…you could argue if the yacht is inverted then the stainless steel latches are the correct way up…”
“…Why not try and spring load the bolts…”
“…make a bag for the bilge pumps out of screen…”
“…If you screw boards down and need to get access fast in a leak or collision…”
“…no shut-off valve on the exhaust, a common cause of engine failure…”
“…On your advice from over a year ago we procured the sailing books that you recommended…”
“…biggest pump on a boat is the engine raw water pump. Think about a 3 way valve…”
“…a companionway hatch that is able to keep the water out and is attached to the boat…”
“…water came out of the sink drain like a fire hose.”
“…If you should take a barrel roll, the raft and the pushpit would be gone…”
“…“make sure your drogue chainplates are up to the challenge, or install them if not…”
“…It is a very good idea to wear a helmet…”
“…Are you planning on any kind of pre-crossing fitness regime…”

Thanks to everyone for sharing their incredible knowledge, and for challenging us to be better sailors!

We love hearing from you, and always learn something new. You are an amazing bunch of people!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/what-happens-to-your-boat-in-a-hurricane-your-comments-answered/feed/2FOLLOWTHEBOAT IS SECURE (AND IT LOADS FASTER)https://followtheboat.com/followtheboat-is-secure/
https://followtheboat.com/followtheboat-is-secure/#respondSat, 11 Aug 2018 08:18:01 +0000https://followtheboat.com/?p=36702With big increases in traffic and subscriptions we're dedicating more time into making your visit to followtheboat hassle-free and fast. Come and have a look!]]>

With big increases in traffic and subscriptions we’re dedicating more time to make your visit to followtheboat hassle-free and fast.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what we’ve been up to for the geeks out there…

Secure

You’ll notice that when you visit a followtheboat.com address it’s served up using the https protocol. The ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’ and uses a separate protocol called SSL. You don’t need to know how it does this, but what it means is that every page on followtheboat.com is now protected. You’ll notice your browser shows followtheboat.com as ‘Secure’ in the address bar, along with a locked padlock icon. This is especially important for our Shop as it protects any data you input when making a purchase. Please be assured we do not share your data with ANYONE except our printers, who need your delivery address, and Getreponse, who serve up our weekly emails.

Please note we no longer use the ‘www’ in front of our address. Just type ‘followtheboat.com’ and you’re good to go.

CDN

We’re now serving our pages via a CDN. A Content Distribution Network is a service that serves up followtheboat’s pages locally. That means rather than serving up the website via our host based in Canada, it uses local servers closest to you. The advantage is that the content has less far to travel before loading up in your browser.

Fast Page Rankings

Whilst we’ve been doing all of this we’ve been checking our page rankings using services like pingdom.com and gtmetrix.com. This helps us fine-tune the website and reduce page-load times. The upshot of increased page-rankings is that Google treats us fairly, which is nice.

So what does this mean?

Nothing, other than a faster, more secure browsing experience on followtheboat.com! We hope you like what you see but if you have any concerns, observations or feedback, do let us know in the comments below. In the meantime, here’s a reminder of why we sail and travel…

]]>https://followtheboat.com/followtheboat-is-secure/feed/0MILLIE DREAMS OF SAILING AWAYhttps://followtheboat.com/millie-dreams-of-sailing-away/
https://followtheboat.com/millie-dreams-of-sailing-away/#respondSat, 11 Aug 2018 08:00:57 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36669Some days we go backwards and lose our mojo, but then it will all go to plan and we feel great again. Millie is a stoic, sleeping through the chaos and enjoying her view from deck, whether she's floating next to the pontoon or propped up on the hard.]]>

Just like us, Millie is fed up with being stuck in the marina

We should know by now, shouldn’t we? Getting big projects finished always takes longer than you anticipate. That’s never been truer than here at Krabi Boat Lagoon Marina.

Wanting something beautiful and practical (a little different from the usual canvas solutions we see) has meant progress on our hard windshield dodger has been slo-o-ow. Weather, holidays, illnesses, learning on the job and re-designs have all played their part in keeping us here.

Some days we go backwards and lose our mojo, but then it will all go to plan and we feel great again. Millie is a stoic, sleeping through the chaos and enjoying her view from deck, whether she’s floating next to the pontoon or propped up on the hard.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/millie-dreams-of-sailing-away/feed/0PREPARING A BOAT FOR HURRICANE SAILINGhttps://followtheboat.com/preparing-a-boat-for-hurricane-sailing/
https://followtheboat.com/preparing-a-boat-for-hurricane-sailing/#commentsThu, 09 Aug 2018 08:00:06 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36655While the carpenters and stainless team work on the last details of our hard dodger, we're busy fitting bolts, hoses and more bilge pumps inside our sailboat in an effort to minimise the damage that will happen if we broach in a typhoon during our passage across the Pacific to Alaska and Canada.]]>

If your boat gets knocked down by a 30ft wave in a hurricane, what happens below decks, and how can you prepare for it?

While the carpenters and stainless team work on the last details of our hard dodger, we’re busy fitting bolts, hoses and more bilge pumps inside our sailboat in an effort to minimise the damage that will happen if we broach in a typhoon during our passage across the Pacific to Alaska and Canada.

And if you haven’t already purchased a copy of Peter Bruce’s Heavy Weather Sailing we recommend you find a copy. Packed with case studies, this is what they say about it…

“For 50 years Heavy Weather Sailing has been regarded as the ultimate international authority on surviving storms at sea aboard sailing and motor vessels.”– Bloomsbury
“If you buy no other book for your voyage, buy this one.”– Pete Goss
“This book is an institution.”– Practical Boat Owner
“The ultimate survival handbook.”– Yachting World

Buy it through Amazon (we get about 0.1% commission if you use our link )
– US
– UK

]]>https://followtheboat.com/preparing-a-boat-for-hurricane-sailing/feed/4WHEN SHOULD YOU ABANDON SHIP? THIS COUPLE DID JUST THAThttps://followtheboat.com/when-should-you-abandon-ship/
https://followtheboat.com/when-should-you-abandon-ship/#commentsMon, 06 Aug 2018 07:31:09 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36601A can of beans can kill you. It has the force of a sledge hammer when the boat is bucking or knocked down. Someone we know was killed by one in the Atlantic.]]>

In June 2018, after 70,000 miles and 27 years of sailing experience, a cruising couple on board SV Kelaerin abandoned her 150 miles off the coast of Washington. They were almost home. The video footage above was taken four hours after the rescue.

It must have been a terrifying and heart-breaking experience for Joy and Jim Cary. Joy has written about it in detail, a harrowing and honest account of events that led up to the moment they jumped into the water. The text has been shared around the internet, and most readers have been sympathetic, wondering what they would have done in a similar situation.

We do not know how we would react and behave if the same thing happened to us, and it is not our place to judge if the couple might have done things differently. All the knowledge and preparation in the world cannot predict how any of us would handle a similar disaster. But by sharing their story, the owners have concentrated our minds on ways to improve some of Esper’s safety systems, for which we thank them.

Preparation

“We had left Oahu, Hawaii on May 26, 2018,” the author begins. “After weeks of watching the high develop in the north Pacific, we felt we could safely leave now and have reasonable weather for the 21-27 day trip to Bellingham, Washington.

[After setting off]

…suddenly the [weather] reports were different. The wind was 21 to 26 knots from the north/northwest… The conditions, although uncomfortable, were nothing that should stop us from making progress.

As we entered the night hours, we had winds well into the mid-30’s and seas were building. Still, Kelaerin was sailing fine. The seas continued to build to over 4 meters, then 5… Eventually we were sailing bare poles at almost 5 knots down steep waves, the largest waves I had ever seen while cruising. I estimated they were 30 feet.”

We have sailed in high winds in big swells, but have not seen waves like that. It’s not the wind that’s the problem when storm sailing, it’s the waves.

Knockdown below deck

“I awoke around 3:30 to a hard hit by a wave, so hard it felt as though we had been hit by a train while sitting on the tracks. I was suddenly on the ceiling and tons of water came in through the companionway hatch. The noise inside the boat was deafening. …when I put my feet on the floor I was standing in water up to my ankles. The water was sloshing violently back and forth and from bow to stern. The aft cabin companionway ladder was across the cabin and bashed into the louvred door of the hanging locker. One of the two scuba tanks was out of their snap holders behind the ladder.

Everything that was on the quarter berth was now on the floor. Stuff had been piled there and secured for years for passages, but now was a heap on the cabin sole… the second scuba tank was now in [a] bunk. We had a bag of laundry sitting in the shop that was behind the engine and all the clothes were sloshing around the cables and chains of the steering. The heavy, sliding doors to the engine room were bashed into the pass-through.

Almost every locker door was open or broken and the lockers were bare, with the contents sloshing back and forth on the cabin sole. The bilge hatches were gone – they weren’t always the easiest to get up with their pull rings — and the water tanks exposed to view. Locker lids either flat or on the cabin sides were askew and shelves were broken.”

When offshore we use nets to hold in place everything that sits on open shelves and open compartments. We are reinforcing the netting to ensure it is able to withstand bucking seas and a knockdown.

Each locker, draw and sole board on Esper is being fitted with an additional stainless steel bolt to be kept locked throughout the passage. She doesn’t look so pretty, but we need to minimise the amount of stuff which will inevitably fly around the boat if we are knocked down.

When the weather gets bad, we will continue to close the companionway hatch, even though we should be nice and dry with our new hard dodger and bimini.

A can of beans can kill you. It has the force of a sledge hammer when the boat is bucking or knocked down. Someone we know was killed by one in the Atlantic.

Knockdown on deck

“I got to the main cabin companionway and saw Jim at the wheel. He had blood covering half of his face. He looked shocked but was steering us down a huge wave. I was looking at clear sky where once there had been a full cockpit enclosure.

I asked, “Where is the dodger?” and he said, “It’s gone.”

I [took the wheel] while he went down below to check the damage and make sure we weren’t taking on water. I had to keep the stern to the waves. I concentrated on steering and at some point as I looked forward I could see that the dinghy was gone. The handrails it had been tied to were broken, snapped like twigs.

Then I realized something else was missing, the liferaft. It had been tied to a stainless steel luggage rack that we had constructed and bolted to the cabin top just forward of the dodger. The teak coaming that ran across the cabin top was broken off with a part of it in the cabin.

We are currently trying to decide the best position for our liferaft, and one thing we are considering is a holding cage made of s/s tube welded onto the guard rail towards the rear of Esper. Previously our liferaft was bolted to the deck, but it took up a lot of valuable space. Jury’s still out on that one.

As for the dinghy, it will be deflated and stored below, in the lazarette or lashed/bolted to the deck, it all depends on where we can find room. It will not be left swinging from the davits.

Comms

“…the SSB radio was dead. The two VHF radios were on but since no one answered our MAYDAYS we weren’t positive they were sending out our messages.

It had been almost two hours since the wave had tossed us… and we were both showing signs of hypothermia. We were in very dangerous shape now, with no communications and no way to get a weather report… the reality of our situation seemed to be clear to both of us.

I said, “I think we should activate the EPIRB,” and he agreed.

We had a 406 Mhz EPIRB… he went to get it out of its holder and brought it up to our binocular box (the binoculars were gone) and… pushed the button.”

We have upgraded our 10 yr old EPIRB, and intend to buy personal locating beacons, which will be secured to our life jackets. We are also upgrading our old sat phone with an Iridium Go plus other tracking and positioning devices. We don’t own an SSB radio.

Bilge pumps

“We had 4 electric bilge pumps, one was a large capacity pump. All 4 clogged with debris. The debris was from all the soft back books we had on board. The cheaper paper turned to mush with all the sloshing and went right through the screens into the pumps. There was no way we could operate the manual pump in these conditions and to get that much water out.”

We are in the process of beefing up our bilge pumps right now, and will be adding another one, as well as carrying spares. The hope is that the bolted lockers and netted open lockers/shelves will stop our belongings from tumbling about.

One great suggestion from a friend is to put ALL our paperback books on the Kindle, thereby saving space and avoiding the problem SV Kelaerin had with clogged screens.

Storm tactics

“…the water tanks were probably fouled through the vents… The engine itself may have worked but the starter motor was surely dead as it was now underwater. The engine wouldn’t have helped anyway, not unless we could get closer to shore and now we were getting farther away every minute.

While behind the wheel I had to keep the stern to the waves… I was doing o.k. with steering but every once in a while a bigger wave broke near me and we would begin to broach. I had to hold on to the wheel with everything I had to keep it stern to. I screamed now and then. I know this because my voice was getting hoarse.”

There is a school of thought which says you should heave-to in this kind of weather, with a drogue anchor. Others say you are more likely to broach that way. Running with the wind/waves means hand-steering in very tough conditions and keeping the vessel from nose-diving into the troughs. And how can you see what’s coming at night?

The conditions you find yourself in will probably dictate what you end up doing, but being armed with as much information and knowledge beforehand will make the decision-making easier.

The rescue

“We had set off the EPIRB around 0538.

Almost 4 hours later… I heard the Coast Guard call us on the old VHF radio in the aft cabin. They were coming from the Warrenton, Oregon base. They said they were 20 minutes away from us… incredibly the chart plotter was still functioning and I could give them our exact position. They informed me that when they arrived they would have only a few minutes with us and we needed to make the decision: they could give us a de-watering pump and we would be on our own, or they could extract us from the vessel.

I looked at Jim and asked, “which?” and he answered, “the de-watering pump”.

They informed me that they would drop a swimmer in, so I told them we would lower the stern ladder and Jim would stream a heavy line so the swimmer could grab it.

The helicopter dropped low on the starboard side, and the swimmer jumped in… I was waiting for the pump, and then looked over to see the Coast Guard swimmer coming towards the cockpit… informing me that we were getting off the boat.

“No,” I said. “We are staying on the boat, we just need the pump.” Then Jim was behind him and said, “Joy, we are getting off.”

He told us to inflate our SOSpenders and jump. What!!!!! Of course this was the only thing to do…

I hesitated for a second and looked at the giant wave coming at us and said, “I’m not jumping in that”… he said “GO NOW!” Jim said JUMP, and I was in the water.”

Have you sailed in heavy weather, or a hurricane/typhoon? What did you do? We are interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced similar conditions. Put your comments below…

Lesson learned

“Our biggest mistake… was putting all our important personal items in a ditch bag. The lifesaving ditch bag had been on a shelf with the handle facing outwards so that we could grab it, but it was of no use if we had to jump in the ocean from a sinking boat and no liferaft. In any case, it wasn’t there after we flipped over and I have no idea as to where it went. I’ll be kicking myself forever for not having the IDs, passports, cash, hard drives and even the little bits of jewelry in a bag ready to go.”

This is interesting. We have three waterproof grab bags, one of which floats. But they are full of life-saving equipment. We had not considered keeping all our treasures in an easily separate and quickly accessible ditch bag. This is something we have to think about.

A few weeks later Kelaerin, which had not been scuppered at the time of the rescue, was found. The Coast Guard Eleventh District said that the USCG cutter Barracuda had found her while on patrol about 440 miles SSE from where she was abandoned. The Barracuda crew inspected the vessel’s seaworthiness and took it in tow toward the coast, where a Coast Guard Station Fort Bragg 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew relieved the tow and moored the vessel in Fort Bragg.

“The vessel was not under power and was completely at the mercy of the sea,” said Chief Warrant Officer Chris Ramp, the command center chief.

“The owners probably never thought they’d see it again. Thankfully, the Barracuda crew kept a vigilant eye on the water and spotted the vessel so they could bring it back to shore.”

Kelaerin safe after the storm

Kelaerin in her berth

Once again, we would like to say thank you to Joy and Jim of SV Kelaerin for sharing this valuable account of their predicament. There are lots of lessons to be learned from it.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/when-should-you-abandon-ship/feed/16MILLIE TIMEhttps://followtheboat.com/millie-time/
https://followtheboat.com/millie-time/#respondSun, 05 Aug 2018 09:36:26 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36593While we anxiously go through our check list of work here in the marina, Millie's days are taken up with finding the coolest and most comfortable place on the boat. ]]>

It’s not always easy finding new places to sleep…

While we anxiously go through our check list of work here in the marina, Millie’s days are taken up with finding the coolest and most comfortable place on the boat. While we’ve had the mattresses off the bed to deal with the diesel leak, she’s been using the smooth ply underneath to stretch out and contemplate her idyllic life. And with each new job, as yet another locker is left open, Millie sniffs out a nice spot to get in our way.

Yesterday she popped into the lazarette without telling us and ended up spending the day there. Unfazed, she emerged later when Jamie found her and promptly plopped down on her ‘throne’.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/millie-time/feed/0CAPTION COMPETITION #1 WINNER ANNOUNCED!https://followtheboat.com/caption-competition-1-winner-announced/
https://followtheboat.com/caption-competition-1-winner-announced/#respondFri, 03 Aug 2018 08:00:48 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36541Yes, what started off as a bit of fun has rolled into a regular feature. We worked through more than 200 entries across Patreon, Facebook and Instagram to find the first winner!]]>

DRUM ROLL PLEASE! WE HAVE A WINNER OF THE FIRST COMPETITION… AND WE LAUNCH CAPTION COMPETITION #3

Yes, what started off as a bit of fun has rolled into a regular feature. We worked through more than 200 entries across Patreon, Facebook and Instagram to find the first winner!

So well done Brian Kepner who came up with our favourite caption. A hand-written postcard will be winging its way to you in the post from we three on FTB.

I found Pong still working down here! He’s almost done!Brian Kepner, Facebook

We’ll send a hand-written postcard to anywhere in the world for our favourite answer! Put yours in the comments section below…

Deadline Friday 17th August 2018

]]>https://followtheboat.com/caption-competition-3/feed/26MISS UNIVERSE COMES TO THE MARINA!https://followtheboat.com/miss-universe-comes-to-the-marina/
https://followtheboat.com/miss-universe-comes-to-the-marina/#respondThu, 02 Aug 2018 08:50:15 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36493While Liz was in the UK, Jamie received a call from our friend Ricardo asking him if he would like a job helping out on a catamaran for the afternoon. Initially skeptical, Jamie's interest piqued when he heard the phrase "Miss Thailand".]]>

Sometimes life smiles on you even as it throws a curveball. And for the first time in years Jamie was lost for words…

While Liz was in the UK, Jamie received a call from our friend Ricardo asking him if he would like a job helping out on a catamaran for the afternoon. Initially skeptical, Jamie’s interest piqued when he heard the phrase “Miss Thailand”.

The contestants competing to represent Thailand in 2018’s Miss Universe competition were coming to the marina for a photoshoot and spending the afternoon on the water for a sunset cruise, would Jamie like to join the crew? Naturally he took his camera.

They started the visit in the marina complex. Dressed in black trousers and white polo shirts, the women were young and natural. The warm reception they received from local families and marina staff helped eased the nervousness of the contestants for whom this was a competition, not just a day out on a boat.

MISS THAILAND 2017 RUNNER-UP!

Leaving aside a discussion on the merits of beauty pageants here, for Jamie it was a glimmer of glamour in a week of grease and labour on board Esper. Back in the real world, while Millie directed operations asleep on her back, Lek and Wit’s team of stainless experts began beefing up the dodger with more struts. They also designed and worked on fabricating frames for the solar panels. They are a pleasure to watch and work with.

LEK AND WIT IN THEIR WORKSHOP

But, oh the diesel leak… All that cleaning out and repairing hadn’t done the trick. The leak was still there!

But we’re not depressed about it. We’re not. Definitely not.

HERE BE LEAKS!

As we swim uphill through molasses, trying to get the boat ready for our big push eastwards, it is your interest and support that keeps us motivated. Thank you for being with us.

Peace and fair winds, friends!

Liz, Jamie and Millie

HANDY TOOL HOLDER

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/miss-universe-comes-to-the-marina/feed/0HOW TO ANCHOR: SIX STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL ANCHORINGhttps://followtheboat.com/how-to-anchor-six-steps-to-successful-anchoring/
https://followtheboat.com/how-to-anchor-six-steps-to-successful-anchoring/#commentsFri, 27 Jul 2018 11:53:44 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36463These are our six steps to effective and efficient anchoring, learned through practical experience over the 12 years we have been anchoring in all kinds of conditions from Turkey to Thailand. This guide is aimed at beginners and those wishing to gain confidence in anchoring.]]>

How to anchor? What anchor should I choose? Is there a best anchor? Will I ever sleep comfortably at night?

These are our six steps to effective and efficient anchoring, learned through practical experience over the 12 years we have been anchoring in all kinds of conditions from Turkey to Thailand. This guide is aimed at beginners and those wishing to gain confidence in anchoring.

Would love it if you could do a “how to anchor” video, including tying the snubber, setting and retrieving, etc. It has got to be my most stressful thing as a newbie cruiser. I know practice solves all wows, but with your experience it would be great to see how you guys have broken the task down.Yves Lemoine – YouTube

The best way to combat stressful anchoring situations is to be armed with knowledge, and that doesn’t begin as you’re dropping the anchor, it comes a long way before then…

1. Ground tackle

WINDLASS Service your windlass regularly, because if it breaks there is nothing worse than having to weigh 60 meters of chain by hand in the blazing sun. Or in a strong wind. It’s horrible.

CHAIN Keep inspecting your chain. Although it will rust a little, make sure it’s not rusting to the point that it is weak and likely to fail. After a few years (depending on how often you use it, for us it was five years) try to have it galvanized (you can do this twice in the lifespan of anchor chain). To help prolong its life, swap the chain over, end-to-end, every two or three years.

NEW SHINY CHAIN!

CONNECTORS A controversial subject! We use a swivel between our chain and anchor, which has served us well. BUT, not all swivels are created equal. So if you are going to have a swivel do your research, there are good and bad. A great place to start your research is on Vyv Cox’s site, read his post for more insight. Vyv is one of our sailing gurus!

WHICH ANCHOR? The world’s most devisive topic! Guaranteed to be ‘discussed’ round the table, at the bar and in forums, often leading to red faces and no result. Anchors are a personal choice. Do your research.

In the last 10 or 15 years we’ve seen “new generation” anchors begin to dominate the market. Originally based on the Bugel from Germany, they employ a roll bar. There are a few variations (e.g. Manson Rocna, Spade). We have a Rocna.

From what we have witnessed, arguments against the newer technology come from cruisers who use old school anchors and have never tried a new one. It’s a bit like saying, “Why do I need to change my 20 year old laptop? I can still send email from it”. Sure, your old one may still work, but a new laptop can do the job more efficiently and it’s quicker.

A Rocna close-up

New generation anchors hold faster and better than the traditional older models. We know this is true because we started with a plow, a CQR. Over two years we dragged a few times, it took a long time to set (often several attempts) and it didn’t give us a hundred percent confidence. The day we put the Rocna on, our lives changed. Have a look online at the multitude of anchor tests out there.

Your anchor is possibly the single most important piece of equipment on your boat. It will give you peace of mind and allow you to sleep. So, please, if you have the budget, get the best you can afford.

Once you have confidence in your ground tackle, you will be ready to anchor your boat. But it’s not that simple. Do some research well ahead of arrival in the anchorage: what do you know about the location and weather?

2. Research your location

There is usually plenty of information available on anchorages, locations and countries.

CHARTS Paper or electronic, charts will give you accurate information (usually!). Spend time looking at them beforehand so that you have a good idea of the approach before you arrive. Understand the lay of the land, work out your transits, know where that church is on the hill, or the café on the beach. Maybe there’s an outcrop on the waterline or coral bommie hidden at the entrance.

PILOT BOOKS AND CRUISING GUIDES We have met cruisers who proudly boast that they do not use pilot books. While the logic of wanting to go to a new place and off the beaten path to your own deserted bay is understandable, completely writing off these information resources is naive. Pilot books are well researched and well written by men and women familiar with the area. They provide a lot of information, not just on anchorages but also the surrounding areas, history and culture of the places you’re visiting.

Note: Be fair to the authors. A great deal of time and money has been spent on putting this information together, so don’t photocopy them. It’s worth owning your own pilots and guides.

BLOGS You can find plenty of blogs written by cruisers about the areas they visit, just search in your browser. Read them for inspiration, entertainment and general knowledge. Don’t stick to them rigidly, because sometimes the positions given are inaccurate and could lead to problems.

Collate as much information as possible, and get to know the anchorage before you get there. This will give you confidence when you do eventually approach the anchorage.

3. Research the weather

LONG TERM FORECAST You’re already checking this, right? You’ll have a good idea of what’s heading your way.

THE WEATHER CLOSES IN…

LOCAL WEATHER In particular, try to find out about afternoon sea breezes, katabatic winds and the likelihood of squalls for your destination. All of these will impact on your anchoring success. Find this information in pilot books and cruising guides, on blogs and through local knowledge: talk to other cruisers.

AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES Invariably you’ll end up pointing out to sea being blown onto land. The fetch from these breezes can build up and make life on the hook uncomfortable, even dangerous.

KATABATIC WINDS These have the opposite effect to sea breezes, pushing the boat out to sea. In hot climates it’s nice to have a stiff breeze blowing through.

SQUALLS We get a lot of westerlies from Sumatra when we are anchored along the west coast of Malaysia. They blow pretty strong and normally come around in the afternoon/evening time. But a proper “Sumatra” squall can come without warning at any time, gusting 60+kts. So we try to anchor defensively.

FETCH This is probably the major factor which is going to upset your anchoring. We’ve sat pretty in 80+kts without the anchor budging. That’s because we had good all round shelter and the sea state was flat, with no opportunity to build. But if you’re in a situation where the fetch builds, you may end up bucking wildly into the waves, or slaloming from side to side. Both of these conditions are putting huge loads on your ground tackle, and may dislodge the anchor. In those kinds of conditions we up anchor and try to find a better position, or get out to sea.

4. Scope out the anchorage

You’ve done your preliminary research and you have a good idea about what to expect, so now it’s time to sail to the anchorage. Don’t be afraid to scope it out, there is nothing wrong with coming into an anchorage and motoring through it before you make a decision on where to anchor.

MAKE A CIRCUIT Cruise round and among the boats, not getting too close of course. Watch how everyone is lying. Don’t assume that boats bunched together in one corner of the bay is always the best place. It might be, but it is often the result of the ‘flocking’ instinct of newby cruisers. Do assume that everyone has way more than the traditional 3:1 scope of chain deployed. If you’re not sure and they are on board, ask!

Don’t be a WANCHOR!
AVOID ANCHORING TOO CLOSE TO OTHER BOATS There’s no need for it, especially in a big anchorage. This is a bugbear of ours, and those who have watched our videos know that we hate anchoring too close to other boats, or having them come up and anchor right next to us. Even friends! This comes from experience. Other cruisers have anchored too close, the wind’s picked up and their anchor has dragged. It’s a crap situation to have to deal with, and it’s often at night when all you want to do is sleep. The other point is that they are putting an awful lot of confidence in our anchor, it’s just as likely that we may drag in difficult conditions. There’s no point in putting yourself in those situations. Some cruisers we know will walk around the deck naked to scare people off, it is surprising how often this does the trick!

FIND A CLEAR PATCH OF BOTTOM If you can see the seabed, keep an eye on it and find a sandy patch. Do try to avoid weed, rocks and coral.

If you find you have to up anchor and escape in a hurry, possibly at night or during poor visibility, all this knowledge you have accumulated will help you. You won’t be too close to other boats, and if you’ve kept your track on the chart plotter you should be able to avoid any hazards by simply following it back out.

5. Deploying the anchor

Once you’ve found your spot you are now ready to drop the anchor. And this is the tricky bit. It’s not really tricky at all, it’s pretty straight forward!

POINT YOUR BOW INTO WIND OR TIDE, WHICHEVER IS STRONGEST If you are not sure, there are two ways you can work this out:

look at other boats to see where everyone else is pointing,

drop something in the water that will float and see which way it moves.

TIMING TECHNIQUE You now know where the anchor will lie and where the boat will end up. Clearly, these are two different spots, and this is where your timing technique becomes a balancing act. If there are two of you, put someone on the bow, where they do two things:

watch the anchor go down to see where it lands,

count the chain as it comes out of the locker.

This is because you want to put the boat into astern as the anchor is just about to hit the seabed.

As you manoeuvre the boat astern, the chain is paid out.

If you go too quickly or too soon all that’s going to happen is the anchor will not have time to set and you’ll pull it along the seabed.

If you go too slowly or too late you’ll end up with a pile of chain over your anchor, which could mean the chain wrapping around the anchor.

We usually have Liz standing at the bow signalling instructions to Jamie by raising her arm when we are approaching the required length of chain or when the anchor is about to hit the seabed. If we are in 10m of water, as the 10m mark is coming over the bow Liz puts her arm up so that Jamie knows he should start putting the boat into astern.

Some people release the capstan and let the chain run freely with the anchor’s weight. We tend to use the windlass motor so we can pay out more slowly.

LAYING THE ANCHOR The boat is going astern and you pay out your first 30 meters (if you’re in 10 meters of water, that’s a 3:1 scope – more on scope further down). The person on the bow will stop paying out the chain when you hit the required length and signal to the helmsman who keeps the boat going backwards. Again, not too quickly but just fast enough so that it pulls the chain taut. The person up front indicates what the chain is doing by pointing along its direction and angle, pointing forward when it becomes taut. The helmsman puts the engine into neutral because the anchor has now bitten. You know when it bites because:

the boat lines up behind the anchor and chain,

the boat will often lurch forwards.

IS THE BOAT DRAGGING? The person on the bow will be able to tell immediately if the anchor has not bitten because the chain will bounce as it drags along the seabed. You may even hear the anchor scraping. When you think that it’s bitten put the boat back into astern, not too fast, just enough to ensure the chain is taut. You should be able to take your hands off the wheel with the boat in slow astern and it should hold it there. Put the engine in neutral and take a quick transit from the boat to shore, there should be no movement other than the boat settling forward.

SCOPE 3:1 is what we are all taught. But if you have room, put out plenty more. In 10m we will put out an initial 30m, followed by a further 20m or 30m, giving us a scope of 5:1 or 6:1. Sometimes we will put over 10:1. As the saying goes, the chain’s not doing anything when it’s in its locker!

TRANSIT LINES Once in your final position, find a fixed transit line on the boat (each of you choose a different spot), like a stanchion or shroud, then line it up with something ashore that isn’t going to move, like a building, boulder or tree. Once you have them lined up, make a cup of tea. Then go back and check your transits, they should still be roughly in line. Of course, wind and tide may shift the boat 180°, so remember than when you check the transits later.

You can use an app or on-board chart plotter to track your movement at anchor. Expect it to move around, but a good anchor will reset itself, and the new generation anchors are excellent at setting quickly.

Remember that different anchors require different anchoring techniques. Our CQR took a long while to set and we often ended up having to put the engine into quite high revs. With the Rocna it’s the opposite, and too many revs astern could potentially result in the windlass being ripped out of your deck!

Each boat and engine is different, you will gradually get used to it as you practise.

6. Snubber

“Could you guys do a mini video of how you tie your snubber on your anchor?”
asdfdfggfd – YouTube

WHAT LINE? The idea of deploying a snubber is to take the strain off the roller and to avoid bending or breaking it. You must use stretchy line to absorb shocks, similar to your warps. A 3-strand or double-braided rope in polyester is best.

HOOK For many years we used a 3/8 stainless steel hook, which we hooked over one of the links in the chain. We paid out excess snubber as we paid out more chain, then tied off the snubber through the fairlead onto a cleat. Then we paid out more chain out so that it ended up looping beneath the snubber.

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO

ROLLING HITCH Hooks are easy to use but can slip off quite easily, especially in rough weather. So we switched over to the rolling hitch method. It’s a little more involved, but we feel a lot safer with it now. Watch the snubber sequence in Episode 68, where Liz demonstrates how she attaches it to the anchor chain.

In conclusion, make sure you have good ground tackle. Your confidence in anchoring begins with that ground tackle. so make sure that you’ve invested in it wisely and that you service it regularly. Do your research, pick a clear spot, take your time, use transits and monitor the position of your boat at anchor.

Finally, it is worth mentioning a Facebook user group called Anchoring and Anchorages run by a guy called Andy Marsh. It’s a friendly forum where they discuss different anchoring techniques and anchors. They post articles and tests, which are useful especially if you’re new to anchoring.

We hope this gives you a few pointers. No doubt there are people with their own tips and advice, so do post any comments below, we love to hear from you.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/how-to-anchor-six-steps-to-successful-anchoring/feed/4GALE IN THE BOAT YARD!https://followtheboat.com/gale-in-the-boat-yard/
https://followtheboat.com/gale-in-the-boat-yard/#respondThu, 26 Jul 2018 10:41:11 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36442Moving a sailboat in a gale, is it dangerous? Millie and Jamie didn't feel safe as SY Esper swung around in her cradle, the hull shuddering with each gust of wind. Sometimes life on the hard is hard!]]>

On the day Esper was due to go back in the water, gusts of 40kts and a weather warning to shipping meant Millie and Jamie felt safer below decks.

Even there they felt her swaying and shuddering! Here on followtheboat we like to make life difficult for ourselves, so while Esper was swinging from the travel lift, her crew cowered below decks. Not the best day to drop in the water. The sheltered water of Krabi Boat Lagoon was high and flat, so it was a case of grinning and bearing it…and hoping it all went as quickly as possible.

Once safely back in our old slip, Jamie had a few beers (of course!) before recommencing work on the dodger the next day, and dealing with all those niggling boat maintenance jobs.

All those small jobs we had neglected over previous months now started in earnest. We began our boat maintenance by cleaning and servicing the bilge system, adding a new bilge valve and checking the float switch.

With the hard bimini now in place, it was time to see how our dodger boat project was looking in the water. It needed to be angled forward, a point we had neglected to think about before installing it. This is for two reasons: to reduce windage and to allow the rainwater to fall forward to the two hose intakes.

Angling the dodger forward…

When will this prep ever end? We just want to go sailing!

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO!

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH THE VIDEO

But we know we are doing the right thing. To get to Alaska we need to do all the right jobs… right now… in the right place… Esper must be in tip-top shape before we start our epic voyage eastwards.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/gale-in-the-boat-yard/feed/0THE BLOG IS GETTING BIGGER!https://followtheboat.com/the-blog-is-getting-bigger/
https://followtheboat.com/the-blog-is-getting-bigger/#respondSun, 22 Jul 2018 10:09:21 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36352Our subscribers have been growing, so thank you to every one of you for joining us here and being part of the followtheboat family. It's lovely to have you aboard!]]>

We had a hiccup with our mail-out provider because they wanted to charge us way too much to keep our subscribers updated!

Yes, it seems that success costs more and more. Our subscribers have been growing, so thank you to every one of you for joining us here and being part of the followtheboat family. It’s lovely to have you aboard!

We send a round-up once a week to everyone who subscribes, which we hope you enjoy. We restrict our emails to just one, because we don’t want to flood your Inbox. That’s especially important to many of you, because (like us) you are in remote areas on your own boat with poor internet.

PHANG NGA BAY, THAILAND

Two weeks ago our provider chose not to send the round-up because we had gone over our list limit, which was disappointing to say the least, particularly since they hadn’t warned us. To move into the next band is a huge leap in price, so we have been trying to find a friendlier and less expensive option. The new folks so far have provided excellent support at a more competitive price, so let’s see how they perform… Do let us know what you think of the new round-up emails.

We thought, what with all the maintenance at the moment, you might like a reminder of our Anambas islands adventure with one of the beautiful images taken along the deserted coastlines of that fantastic archipelago.

We’ll send a hand-written postcard to anywhere in the world for our favourite answer! Put yours in the comments section below…

Deadline Friday 3rd August 2018

]]>https://followtheboat.com/caption-competition-2/feed/12RIGGING AND COBRAS, ALL IN A DAY’S WORK!https://followtheboat.com/rigging-and-cobras-all-in-a-days-work/
https://followtheboat.com/rigging-and-cobras-all-in-a-days-work/#respondSun, 22 Jul 2018 09:25:47 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36382It is the season for cobras: big ones, little ones and all scary. We've seen a few around the marina, and Jai found one in his office. Well, it's a rigger's work space, so just imagine those lovely lines coiled up like snakes in there...]]>

What do you do when you find a cobra in your workshop? Our rigger isn’t fazed by it…

Yes, it is the season for cobras: big ones, little ones and all scary. We’ve seen a few around the marina this week, and Jai found one in his office. Well, it’s a rigger’s work space, so just imagine those lovely ropes, lines and pieces of equipment in there, all providing a great space for a cobra to hide. Jamie talked to Jai about how to inspect your rigging, while keeping a careful eye out for any slithery movements!

In this week’s episode on oursailing channel we show the first part of the conversation, but we think it was so interesting we have released the full interview on Patreon. It includes a discussion about using Dyneema for standing rigging, a subject covered in depth by our YouTube viewers in the comments after last week’s episode, Should We Re-rig The Boat?

Liz was away in the UK, so Millie supervised while Jamie got on with lots of boat repairs and maintenance above and below decks, including a second fuel leak.

Wit and Lek’s stainless team got to grips with various jobs around SY Esper. Lek fine tuning and strengthening the davits, while Wit shaped the new Torlon log bearing, and he showed us the best way to take out that temporary cutlass bearing from the pea bracket we added back in Pangkor. Clue: it doesn’t involve a big hammer!

Lek welding stainless steel in the workshop

Finished pieces for the davits

Wit cuts the torlon down to size

We will be anchoring in many new places, in all kinds of conditions, so having good ground tackle you can rely on is important. We made the decision to buy new anchor chain and connectors. The old one would probably have been OK for a while longer, but with our plans for sailing to Alaska ahead of us, we thought it was sensible to renew it now.

NEW SHINY CHAIN!

We’ve had quite a few visitors here in Krabi Boat Lagoon from all over the world. If you’re in the area, come and find us, we’d love to meet you. One new friend arrived while Jamie was on his own with a rotten cold, and returned an hour later with mangoes and rambutans to help him through the pain. It did the trick. Thanks, David!

Become aFollowtheboat Mate, or if that doesn’t float your boat, you can still support us by sharing this post. Thanks!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/rigging-and-cobras-all-in-a-days-work/feed/0OPERATION “POSTCARDS TO SUPPORTERS” UNDERWAY!https://followtheboat.com/operation-postcards-to-supporters-underway/
https://followtheboat.com/operation-postcards-to-supporters-underway/#respondSun, 15 Jul 2018 06:56:09 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36367Yes, we've hand-written, hand-addressed and hand-stamped what felt like thousands of postcards! These exclusive postcards, designed by Liz, are going all over the world to the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, NZ and even locally to Thailand. ]]>

Yes, we’ve hand-written, hand-addressed and hand-stamped what felt like thousands of postcards!

We had quite the production line going in Krabi Town post office, as you can see from the pic. These exclusive postcards, designed by Liz, are going all over the world to the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, NZ and even locally to Thailand. We’re just missing South America and Africa! Wonder how long they will take to arrive?

All our Patreon Bosuns, Mates, Captains, Commanders and Admirals receive postcards whenever we arrive in a new country. Since we’re stuck in Thailand working on the mini refit in readiness for crossing the Pacific, we thought it was about time we sent them another one.

If you fancy a personalised postcard to stick on your fridge, join our Patreon Family for as little as $5 a month! Or become a Deckhand for $2 – that’s just one small cup of coffee from your local coffee shop! We will give you our love, respect and eternal gratitude.

Meanwhile, Millie was the sensible one, and she got out of the sun to the coolest place in the marina…

If you enjoy our work, please do consider joining our family, we’d love to have you along for the ride. In the meantime thanks for your fantastic support here on our blog.

If becoming aFollowtheboat Family member doesn’t float your boat, you can still help us by sharing this post, just tap on any of the icons below. Thank you!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/operation-postcards-to-supporters-underway/feed/0MILLIE’S HAD ENOUGH OF LIFE ON THE HARD!https://followtheboat.com/millies-had-enough-of-life-on-the-hard/
https://followtheboat.com/millies-had-enough-of-life-on-the-hard/#respondFri, 13 Jul 2018 11:47:12 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36350Stuck in the condo for a few days, Millie made a break for it and found herself a new boat!]]>

Stuck in the condo for a few days, Millie made a break for it and found herself a new boat!

Our room faces the pontoon where SY Esper was berthed before she went back onto the hard. One morning Millie strode outside to get back to her beloved floating home, but was confused to find it gone. In its place was this dinghy, so she commandeered it and claimed it as her own!

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/millies-had-enough-of-life-on-the-hard/feed/0SHOULD WE RE-RIG THE BOAT?https://followtheboat.com/should-we-re-rig-the-boat/
https://followtheboat.com/should-we-re-rig-the-boat/#respondFri, 13 Jul 2018 11:36:29 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36334$10,000 to re-rig our boat?! The rigging's ten years old, so our insurers insist we change it, but what do the professional riggers think?]]>

$10,000 to re-rig our boat?! The rigging’s ten years old, so our insurers insist we change it, but what do the professional riggers think?

Wow, what a view from up there! Right across the mangroves out to sea. To be honest, Liz didn’t want to come down! So Jamie took some stunning footage with the drone around Liz as she dangled from the top of our main mast.

Liz was up there to help our rigger measure the triatic, a feat requiring a certain amount of acrobatics and skill on his behalf. At the time, we were planning a complete re-rig, but our rigger wanted to know why we were getting rid of perfectly good rigging.

“It’s 10 years old,” we said, “and the insurance company says we must change it.”

There’s nothing wrong with it, the rigger insisted, it just needs a few replacements and some attention here and there. And, he continued, we would be replacing excellent stainless steel provided by Oyster with an almost certainly inferior product. With the job complete, we sat down to discuss what to do next, service or replace? We contacted the insurance company, and they agreed that a certified rigging survey would be acceptable instead of a total re-rig. Let’s see what happens…

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Whatever you are doing today, we hope it’s a better day than we’ve just had, it’s been one step forward and two steps back in the wonderful world of boat maintenance. All we want to do is get out of Dodge and on towards Borneo, but Esper seems to have other plans. She keeps throwing spanners in the works, sometimes quite literally! Still, this is the best place to do this kind of work, so we are trying to be patient, and keep telling each other that it will all be alright in the end!

Liz’s favourite job…

That bloody diesel leak still needs attention, and Liz spends a glorious day cleaning out the tanks before Jamie can get down to making a second round of repairs. Jamie, meanwhile, gets on with checking the steering system, which means taking everything out of the lazarette and making the boat even more of a mess!

What a mess…

With no water or battery power, and every surface below and above decks covered in tools and boxes, it is a nightmare trying to live aboard. So we moved into one of the marina’s condos for some space, order and hot showers!

Then when our friend Katie arrived for a few days, we took advantage of her presence for some time out. We had a twenty-four hour break in Phuket, where we found another deal at the same hotel where we did our last shopping trip. And the Sala Hotel made it even more memorable by welcoming us back with a bottle of champagne in our room! Nice touch.

In the meantime, work still continues on the dodger, with Lek and Wit’s stainless team adding supports for the GRP/honeycomb back struts. It feels more spacious than we had hoped now it’s in situ, and is already giving us some shelter even without a front or sides. We can’t wait for it to be finished.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/should-we-re-rig-the-boat/feed/0DODGER ON A TRAVEL LIFT!https://followtheboat.com/dodger-on-a-travel-lift/
https://followtheboat.com/dodger-on-a-travel-lift/#respondSat, 07 Jul 2018 01:36:01 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36301As the haul-out travel lift came lumbering towards us, it was a lesson in hope, guts and teamwork. The rain poured and the wind howled round the yard, swinging our shiny dodger from the haul-out crane a little more than anyone liked...]]>

We reveal the answer to that question about what the log bearing is made of…

As the haul-out travel lift came lumbering towards us, it was a lesson in hope, guts and teamwork. The rain poured and the wind howled round the yard, swinging our shiny dodger from the haul-out crane a little more than anyone liked.

Liz and Millie hid below listening to seven men shouting in two languages outside, while the crane creaked and the dodger was slowly lowered onto our newly painted cockpit combing. The crane could not bring the dodger in from behind because our mizzen mast is in the way, so it came alongside, almost touching the spreaders as it swung the dodger sideways.

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The log bearing was proving difficult to source, but after some detective work and a chat with Oyster, we discovered that the material used back in 1988 was Tufnol®. We’ve since found out it will be easier to source/replace using Torlon®, which we’ll make to size here in the marina.

The stainless team continued work on the davits, adding a frame for the new solar panel waiting for us in Pangkor. They are also strengthening the original system in preparation for the foul conditions we are likely to encounter during the forthcoming easterly ocean crossing. This means the poles no longer swing out and are locked in place with reinforced corners.

Now that the dodger is in place, it was time to call in the canvas expert. We will use Strataglass clears and Sunbrella for the work, as well as track and cord, all of which we have sourced in Phuket. But the real challenge is to add the canvas work. We want to be able to open the cockpit area up as much as possible for warm climates, but enclose it entirely in the cold. It also needs to withstand what the ocean will throw at us. Wira and his assistant, Pom, took measurements and sketched up some ideas.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/dodger-on-a-travel-lift/feed/0WE WENT TO HAT YAI FOR THE DAY!https://followtheboat.com/we-went-to-hat-yai-for-the-day/
https://followtheboat.com/we-went-to-hat-yai-for-the-day/#commentsFri, 06 Jul 2018 10:37:33 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36281Because of a perceived threat of terrorism, the FCO (UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office) advises "...against all but essential travel...to Southern Songkhla province", which includes Hat Yai. ]]>

Where we met up with Julie, her brother Stefan, sweet baby James and our old friend Jia…

Because of a perceived threat of terrorism, the FCO (UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office) advises “…against all but essential travel…to Southern Songkhla province”, and that includes Hat Yai. That didn’t stop us from visiting a few times during the refit in Satun, when we rushed in and out of the airport or made quick shopping excursions to pick up parts. And nothing was going to stop us from seeing Julie and Jia. This time we saw another side of this pretty city.

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Those of you who have followed us for a while here and on social media, will know that we made great friends with Jia and Julie during our refit, when we spent over a year in his family’s boat yard in Satun.

Jia is a keen fisherman, and while we were there he arranged to take us away from PSS Shipyard for a night on a local squid fishing boat. It was an exhilarating experience to be out on the water with the fishermen, and to fully get to grips with why they use those bright green lights, which you see all around the coastal waters of Phang Nga bay and the Andaman Sea.

Jia jigs for squid…

Once again, when we met up with Julie and family in Hat Yai this time, we were whisked away for the most delicious lunch at Bon Khao Restaurant overlooking the city. And afterwards we drove to the top of the hill to get a closer look at the golden Thao Mahaprom Four Face Buddha, and that spectacular view.

Jia, who is in his early 30s, suffered a stroke over a year ago and is still lying in a coma. Imperceptibly, though, day by day he is beginning to recover. He is unable to talk, but can communicate with small gestures like raising his eyebrows, blinking and smiling. Julie was pregnant at the time and gave birth to James nine months ago. She is a model of hope and resilience to everyone who knows her, and has remained by Jia’s side, along with his mum and the rest of the strong-knit family, since this tragic incident happened.

This is probably the last chance we will get to see them before we head east, so we really wanted to say goodbye. The three and a half hour drive there and back from Krabi was worth every second we spent with them. We are all willing Jia to hurry up and get better so that they can come back on SY Esper for another fishing trip, anywhere in the world.

We’ll send a hand-written postcard to anywhere in the world for our favourite answer! Put yours in the comments section below…

Deadline Friday 20th July 2018

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/caption-competition/feed/0SOMBAT’S FUND IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS!https://followtheboat.com/sombats-fund-is-now-closed-thank-you-for-your-donations/
https://followtheboat.com/sombats-fund-is-now-closed-thank-you-for-your-donations/#respondWed, 04 Jul 2018 02:13:28 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36264Thank you, thank you, thank you! We had such an overwhelming response here, on our social media, YouTube and Patreon, that it is now time to close the fund. ]]>

We had such an overwhelming response here, on our social media, YouTube and Patreon, that it is now time to close the fund.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Wow, we are incredibly lucky to have such kind and warm-hearted followers, and have been blown away by the generosity shown from all over the planet. Des Kearns has told us that there is now enough in the fund to support Sombat throughout his hospital treatment, and to keep his family afloat until he is able to get back on his feet.

Please do not send any more donations,Your support has been phenomenal!

Des has asked us not to publish the full amount because this kind of fund-raising can lead to family and community complications in Thailand. We cannot go into the specifics here, but Liz will be emailing everyone who donated with a private message.

Suffice to say that your money has meant he is receiving the best treatment possible.

Peace and fair winds!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/sombats-fund-is-now-closed-thank-you-for-your-donations/feed/0THEY NEVER TELL YOU ABOUT THE LUGGAGE PROBLEM…https://followtheboat.com/they-never-tell-you-about-the-luggage-problem/
https://followtheboat.com/they-never-tell-you-about-the-luggage-problem/#commentsSat, 30 Jun 2018 18:00:15 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36210From a windlass last year (which Liz had to dismantle and put into two suitcases for it to fit within airline maximum baggage regulations) to clips, snaps, shackles and winch handles, we've been flying back and forth across the globe carrying boatloads of equipment for 14 years.]]>

For fourteen years, since we bought SY Esper, we’ve been travelling on planes with suitcases full of boat bits…

From a windlass last year (which Liz had to dismantle and put into two suitcases for it to fit within airline maximum baggage regulations) to clips, snaps, shackles and winch handles, we’ve been flying back and forth across the globe carrying boatloads of equipment.

We’ve known yachties who have managed to disembark with outboard motors and dinghies. Once, in India, Jamie brought our Portabote from the UK. Folded up inside its case, it looked like a surfboard. The airline was happy to class it as “sporting goods” and didn’t charge us a sou. Result!

Liz’s latest trip was no exception. This time, as well as bits for the boat, she had lots of photographic goodies, including her own new Canon M50, as well as plenty of equipment upgrades for all our video shooting and editing.

Thanks for reading our blog and supporting us, we hope you see the difference in our videos to come. And a big shout out to all our Rum Funders and Patrons, without whom none of this would be possible.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/they-never-tell-you-about-the-luggage-problem/feed/9DIESEL LEAKS – DON’T YOU JUST LOVE JOBS LIKE THESE?https://followtheboat.com/diesel-leaks-dont-you-just-love-jobs-like-these/
https://followtheboat.com/diesel-leaks-dont-you-just-love-jobs-like-these/#commentsSat, 30 Jun 2018 04:27:46 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36182The week started well, with the painters making giant strides with the dodger...but life's never easy when you haul out to do some maintenance, maybe that's why it's called "The Hard"?]]>

The week started well, with the painters making giant strides with the dodger…but life’s never easy when you haul out to do some maintenance, maybe that’s why it’s called “The Hard”?

With the rain-catcher now filled and fared to perfection, the painters prepared to add the top coat to the completed hard dodger roof and sides. Although Awgrip is tougher, we use Awlcraft 2000 on Esper, because it is a little more forgiving and allows for easy repair work. First of all they erected a tent round the entire structure and sprayed the ground and surrounding area with water. This is to prevent dust particles from rising into the air and ruining the silky smooth finish. The hose was on all day…which explained the higher than average water bill at the end of the month!

While the painters got down to some precision work at the end of the yard, Inn began to work his magic on the topsides. The bow looked beautiful with all the dents and nicks filled, fared and painted, which meant that the rest of the topsides looked downright dismal. He appled a paste which he left for five minutes of so, then buffed to a high gloss. It’s all good now, and you can’t see the join!

What’s not so good is this diesel leak which we’ve been battling with over the last few of months. Jamie’s been dreading having to tackle it, as it means draining and cleaning the tank, then moving the calorifier to get to the problem. This might not seem so bad, but as these are all under our bed, we have to remove the bed linen, mattress and charts (they’re laid out underneath the mattresses), and the wooden supports.

Then we have to find somewhere to put all this stuff which won’t be too much in the way of actual living. Not easy. And that’s before we even start making any repairs! With the calorifier out of action we had no water, so we took the decision to spend a couple of nights in one of the marina condominiums. Luxury!

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And while all that was going on, Lek and Wit began to look seriously at our davits. Originally designed to take our folding Portabote and small outboard, it was now looking decidedly fragile with the new(ish) Highfield dinghy and Tohatsu motor hanging off the back. With Jamie’s help they came up with a few ways to reinforce it, and make it more stable…

Back to real time, and Liz has been in the UK seeing her dad, who now needs 24 hour supervision. He’s been placed in a friendly care home, which he loves – he thinks everyone there works for him. So she is heading back to Esper this week! Hoorah!

Millie and Jamie are beside themselves. Well, Millie is just asleep, but at least one of us can’t wait for Liz’s return. Looking forward to doing a feature on what’s inside Liz’s case. It’s packed full of goodies, both boaty and camera-y.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/diesel-leaks-dont-you-just-love-jobs-like-these/feed/2OUR WONDERFUL ELECTRICIAN IS CRITICALLY ILL IN HOSPITALhttps://followtheboat.com/our-wonderful-electrician-is-critically-ill-in-hospital/
https://followtheboat.com/our-wonderful-electrician-is-critically-ill-in-hospital/#commentsMon, 25 Jun 2018 11:29:34 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36157Sombat was in Port Takola, a nearby marina, where he had been working on a boat there. When he turned on the engine, the boat blew up. Thankfully, no-one was killed, but Sombat was seriously hurt. They rushed Sombat to hospital where he is still in intensive care. ]]>

Sombat worked with us throughout the 2014/15 refit, and has just been badly hurt in an explosion…

He is one of those rare people you meet now and then: genuine, kind and honourable. We have seen him around the marina here in Krabi, and he always takes time to stop with a smile and a chat as he rushes between projects. He was due to meet Jamie later this week to discuss some minor questions we have.

Sombat is friends with all our workers, and it was through Wit and Lek (currently doing the stainless work on our dodger) that we found out what happened. He was in Port Takola, a nearby marina, where he had been working on a boat. When he turned on the engine, the boat blew up. We understand it was a petrol leak which caused the explosion. No-one was killed, but Sombat was seriously hurt. They rushed him to hospital where he is in intensive care. Wit also sustained some minor injuries from the blast, and is understandably shaken up by the whole experience.

WIT, WHO ALSO SUSTAINED MILD INJURIES FROM THE BLAST

Sombat’s family lives in the far north of Thailand, and have travelled south to camp out on the hospital veranda. It is normal here for families to tend to their loved ones by feeding and washing them. When he shows any sign of improvement he will be moved to Phuket Mission Hospital, where there are better facilities for treating his injuries. At the moment it is too dangerous to move him. Today a tube was removed from his throat, but his condition is still critical. They are removing the breathing tube in stages. Currently he is partially breathing by himself and partly by oxygen. Oxygen pressure has been reduced.

From what we understand, Social Security in Thailand covers to a ceiling, beyond that the patient has to pay. Obviously Sombat will go beyond the ceiling. His friends here are collecting donations to help pay for hospital fees. Des Kearns, here in the marina, is coordinating contributions which will be targeted directly towards actual medical costs.

SOMBAT’S FUND IS NOW CLOSED.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY MORE DONATIONS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY!

Any monies received from hereon in will go into Followtheboat’s Rum Fund

Of course, this is a shocking news for us, and we have already donated 5,000 THB, but you may also feel moved to help. If so, the quickest way is to send a donation to our PayPal account using our email address: liz@followtheboat.com. Please write SOMBAT in the option to leave a note. We will pass on all messages and monies to Des.

Sombat worked way beyond his remit on SY Esper, keeping his costs to a minimum in order to help us, often appearing in the evening and weekends to get the job done. He is well known in this part of Thailand as the go-to, reliable man for all sorts of electrical boat jobs from humble cruising yachts to superyacht projects. Everyone is shocked and deeply upset. Jamie wrote about Sombat in our blog, Sailboat Refit Part 4: Electrics and Electronics.

USEFUL LINKS

]]>https://followtheboat.com/our-wonderful-electrician-is-critically-ill-in-hospital/feed/2SAILBOAT SUNSET: THIS IS WHY WE DO IT!https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-sunset-this-is-why-we-do-it/
https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-sunset-this-is-why-we-do-it/#commentsSat, 23 Jun 2018 18:38:02 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36149Less than a year ago, we were in the mostly unexplored Anambas islands enjoying these kinds of sunsets. If you haven't already watched our videos about this little known part of the world, click on the image below to watch our Anambas Adventure.]]>

Photo of the month: sunset across the Anambas archipelago

As we work like crazy to get SY Esper ready to head to Borneo, we try not to lose sight of why we are doing it. Less than a year ago, we were in the mostly unexplored Anambas islands enjoying these kinds of sunsets. There will be many more to come as we make our way east, from Malaysia to Alaska via Borneo, Philippines, Taiwan and Japan.

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If you haven’t already watched our videos about this little known part of the world, click on the fallen palm below to watch our Anambas Adventure.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-sunset-this-is-why-we-do-it/feed/2WE WENT SHOPPING AND BOUGHT A NEW ANCHOR!https://followtheboat.com/we-went-shopping-and-bought-a-new-anchor/
https://followtheboat.com/we-went-shopping-and-bought-a-new-anchor/#commentsThu, 21 Jun 2018 08:00:54 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36124We went on a little shopping trip to Phuket just to demonstrate how easy it is to spend money on a boat with little to show for it. But stumbling across a bargain Fortress anchor was too difficult to resist. ]]>

Well, to to be honest, we bought a whole load of new stuff…

We went on a little shopping trip to Phuket just to demonstrate how easy it is to spend money on a boat with little to show for it. But stumbling across a bargain Fortress anchor was too difficult to resist. It will make a perfect second anchor, and although it’s big, it’s light and folds up flat, giving us much needed room in the lazarette.

Our mizzen staysail has been in its bag for the last year, so we finally got it out and took it to Rolly Tasker to see if they could copy and replace it. The bad news is that they said no. Instead they said they would repair it because it is still in very good condition. Result! While we were there we also looked at fabric and clears for the dodger and had a good old mooch around the fantastic sail loft.

Phuket is three hours away by car, so after a long day we decided to make a night of it and found a gorgeous hotel at a last minute bargain. The Sala Hotel is one of the nicest places we’ve ever stayed, so if you are looking for a do-nothing break by the sea, surrounded by rain forest we can’t recommend it enough.

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While we were spending money we don’t have and enjoying a little luxury, the painters were working hard in and around SY Esper. Things are starting to take shape. They painted the front of the boat to get rid of all the marks left when our anchor guard fell off, and now the rest of the topsides need some work to match the beautiful job they did! They’ve also taken over from Ton on the rain catcher and are doing a great job on filling and faring, ready to paint.

Liz is currently in the UK seeing her dad, who now needs 24 hour supervision and has been moved to a care home. She is pleased to report that he loves it there; he believes that he is in an office having his every whim tended to by beautiful young ladies! She will be heading back to Jamie, Millie and SY Esper next week.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/we-went-shopping-and-bought-a-new-anchor/feed/2SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 5: CONCLUSION & COSTShttps://followtheboat.com/refit-cost/
https://followtheboat.com/refit-cost/#commentsSat, 16 Jun 2018 02:14:35 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35754In the conclusion to our series of articles about SY Esper's complete refit in Thailand for Sailing Today, we set out the costs for the whole project. Was it worth it? When we limped into Malaysia, SY Esper was in pretty bad shape. Equipment needed replacing and she leaked like a sieve. We had three options...]]>

In the conclusion to our series of articles about SY Esper’s complete refit in Thailand for Sailing Today, we set out the costs for the whole project.

Suspended in a cradle in the narrow slip at PSS Boatyard, Esper had little protection from the midday broiling sun. The smiles on the faces of our dockside friends and workers melted as we all waited for Jamie to work out how to make Esper’s new depth sounder talk to the newly-installed B&G navigation system.

“RTFM!” some wag shouted.

No-one was quite sure how much of the river lay under our keel. It was high tide, and we only had half an hour left of slack water to safely navigate out of the jagged slipway. We had seen a few yachts try to reverse out when the current ran fast and most came a cropper, occasionally doing some nasty damage to their shiny new topsides.

Just one year and one month ago we began what felt like the longest refit in history. Our original intention had been to remove the leaking teak deck, tend to the osmosis problem and do a little tidy-up below decks. A three month project, we were advised. Despite eight years of cruising from Turkey to Malaysia, we knew we were novices when it comes to this level of technical work. We had no idea how long it would take to grind the hull by hand for osmosis treatment, or build a cabinet, or the huge amount of work it takes to prepare a recently denuded teak deck for paint. So we believed what we were told. After the first month Jamie revised the deadline to six months, and pretty soon after that he reckoned it would be a year.

Unpacking all our belongings

To be fair, we did keep adding extra jobs, like new guard rails, a swimming platform, davits, new teak cockpit and rear boxes, rubbing strake, toe rail, new saloon table, new teak floor, new headlining etc. And, of course, remodelling the interior.

A few weeks before launching, over two hundred deck fittings were aligned and replaced, and the masts and rigging were fitted back. It was a long and fiddly process overseen by Jamie who had painstakingly taken photographs and made notes on every square foot of the deck before anything was removed.

The depth sounder’s reading flared into view.

“OK, let’s go!” said Jamie.

As the cradle slid further along its track into the water, SY Esper floated free. Lines were thrown and cameras on land and in the water winked at each other. Someone set off some firecrackers as a sign of good luck. Everyone waved and cheered.

We were back.

Click the image below for a short intro to costs…

CLICK TO WATCH SHORT INTRO TO COSTS

REFITTING IN IN THAILAND

Working in Thailand can have its complications. Apart from the obvious language barrier (our Thai is restricted to ordering food and drink) we were there during the military coup and curfew.

“Don’t worry about that,” said Jia, the yard manager, “it’s only when the banks close that we’ll know there is a real problem.”

The banks didn’t close, and apart from a stronger police and military presence in nearby Satun, things carried on as usual in this backwater of southern Thailand.

Putting up the tent

Then there were the days when we would turn up at the yard to discover everything closed.

“Makha Bucha Day!” someone would explain. Thailand has an abundance of public holidays, both religious and secular, most of which the yard ignored. Workers were free to decide if they wanted to observe them, but often only made that decision on the day.

The biggest complication was coming to grips with a very different culture from our own. In Thailand the most shameful thing you can do is lose your temper. Once you raise your voice the game is over and no-one will respect you again. The default setting when things go wrong in the land of a thousand smiles is to laugh. Many yachties come from fast-paced backgrounds, where they have worked hard to make the leap to living full time on a boat. Most of us have been used to giving orders in the workplace and when things go wrong we get irritated, venting our frustration with harsh words. We certainly expect some kind of compensation for late and inferior work. In Thailand time moves slower and deadlines can be more elastic. If something goes wrong, instead of hunting for a culprit to blame they just go ahead and fix the fault. And charge you for it.

Before arriving here we had spent a few years in countries which do not share the ‘western’ concept of time management. In India, when someone was hours or even days late we stopped getting annoyed and learned to accept it as normal practice. Our Indian friends explained it happens to everyone. During the refit we saw many yachts come and go, and it was usually possible to work out who would have a bad time of it. Those who had been sailing for years and spent a lot of time in similar places, got on with the workers. They made no unattainable demands and when things didn’t quite go to plan, explained how to put it right. Then there were new boat owners, perhaps they had just set out from somewhere like Australia. Angry red faces would appear from their boats as workers walked off the job.

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LESSONS LEARNED

The biggest lesson we learned is that if you are going to have work done on your boat, the best project manager is you. This is certainly true of Thailand where sometimes even the simplest instruction can get misinterpreted. Unless you are on site minor problems can grow into something much worse. We witnessed boats which had been left by the owner for work which were left unattended for days or even weeks at a time.

NICE PLACE FOR A NAP…

One of us was in the boatyard every day, usually both of us. We began each morning with a round up of what had happened the previous day, and a plan for each worker for that day. This didn’t take long, around 20 minutes by the time we had spoken to each team. Throughout the day we would go back to check, sometimes with an ice cream or snack for everyone. And for a lot of the time we were working on or under the boat too.

Paying bonuses did not work for us. When we were particularly pleased with a finished job we gave each worker a bonus in their pay packet. This usually resulted in them taking the following day off to spend it! If we did it again, we would only pay bonuses at the end of a job.

Armed with the knowledge we have gained, we would always try to negotiate a fixed price for job where possible. Parts of the project went on for much longer than we planned and resulted in higher labour costs than we expected. Unfortunately, no-one likes to give a job price in Thailand…

It’s a great way to get to know the country and its people. We embraced the opportunity and regarded it as a unique cultural and practical learning experience. We made some long-lasting local friends and learned more about Thai culture in the boatyard than in any of the prettier places we sailed to over the following years.

We should have overhauled the twenty-seven year old engine, instead of just cleaning and servicing it. Eighteen months later, after failing starter motors, disintegrating hoses etc, it seized. We ended up spending six months in a marina waiting for a new one. An expensive mistake.

DECK FITTINGS REMOVED AND REPLACED

Labour and materials: 1700

SUBTOTAL: 1700

HULL

Including osmosis treatment and antifouling

Labour: 2000

Materials: 3000

SUBTOTAL: 5000

CARPENTRY

This was the biggest part of the job, with carpenters working on the remodelling below deck as well as being a big part of the on deck team. We had between one and three carpenters working on the project most days. Includes total refit of interior including new teak floor, cockpit, toe rail and rubbing strake as well as further exterior carpentry and fitting.

Pong taught his boys their skills as soon as they could hold a chisel…and we dedicated this special video to them:

SUMMARY OF COSTS

GRAND TOTAL: £61,485

There are day to day living expenses to consider over such a long period of time. We had to stay off the boat for the majority of the project, and stored most of our possessions in a container. In Satun, our one bedroom bungalow in 2014 was around £80 per month. Two scooters were around £30 per month. Food, usually cooked on the side of the road, is good and inexpensive, around £1.20 per meal. You can really save on living costs in Thailand.

Masts coming off

WAS IT WORTH IT?

When we limped into Malaysia, SY Esper was in pretty bad shape. Equipment needed replacing and she leaked like a sieve. We had three options:

Sell her, relocate to the Med and buy another boat.

Keep her, and get the work done in Thailand.

Give up cruising, cut our losses and put her up for sale. That was never going to happen…

We looked into Esper’s value and realised we would not achieve anything like the price we needed for another boat. We would have to mortgage our flat for a cheaper boat that would probably never tick all our boxes in the way the Oyster 435 does. Inevitably we would have to spend a lot to get a secondhand boat to the spec we want for world cruising. Whichever way we added up the sums, option 1 did not make sense. Option 2 would be expensive, and we would still have to mortgage our flat, but we would be able to keep the boat we love. We reckoned that with cost of living, labour and haul out rates being much cheaper than Europe, we would be able to get Esper in the best condition possible.

We think she was worth it…

Had we stuck to our original budget and plan, the final cost would have been a good 30-40% lower. But since we had full access to workers capable of refitting every corner of Esper in the boatyard, we decided it would be sensible to do as much as possible there, rather than piecemeal in new yards across the world over the next few years. So we spent all the money we had, and chose the best fittings we could afford.

SY Esper is now in better condition than when we bought her in 2005. So yes, it was worth it for us. But we realise it might not be everyone’s choice.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/refit-cost/feed/23HOW TO USE BUTYL TAPE TO SEAL DECK FITTINGS ON A SAILBOAThttps://followtheboat.com/how-to-use-butyl-tape-to-seal-deck-fittings-on-a-sailboat/
https://followtheboat.com/how-to-use-butyl-tape-to-seal-deck-fittings-on-a-sailboat/#commentsFri, 15 Jun 2018 20:50:44 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36071Do you use Sikaflex or 3M 5200 adhesives for sealing fittings around your sailboat deck? Find out why Jamie believes butyl is best...]]>

Find out why Jamie believes butyl is best…

Do you use Sikaflex or 3M 5200 adhesives for sealing fittings around your sailboat deck? In yesterday’s blog and video Jamie talked about butyl tape as a sealant for deck fittings, in this extra he shows you how it is applied and talks about some of the advantages of using it.

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Advantages:

Cheap

Easy to use

Little wastage

Stores well and lasts for years

More environmentally friendly than adhesive sealants

Disadvantages:

Can be difficult to source (not in many chandleries)

Not as adhesive as modern adhesive sealants

Continues to extrude and may require extra scraping

CLICK THIS IMAGE TO WATCH THE SHORT VIDEO:

CLICK FOR VIDEO!

Have you used this method for bedding and sealing your fittings? What was your experience? If you have an alternative method, or if you disagree with Jamie please let us know in the comments.

Peace and fair winds, friends!

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/how-to-use-butyl-tape-to-seal-deck-fittings-on-a-sailboat/feed/4WOULD YOU BUY AN OLD SAILBOAT AND DO IT UP?https://followtheboat.com/buy-an-old-sailboat/
https://followtheboat.com/buy-an-old-sailboat/#commentsThu, 14 Jun 2018 20:00:30 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36070If you're looking for a boat project and are not shy about boat maintenance, you will enjoy our tour. A "do-er upper", for sure, which could be the perfect sailboat for someone looking to become a liveaboard cruiser.]]>

We would, and we think we’ve found a good one for sale right here in the marina…

She’s a 49′ steel ketch, designed by Colin Childs. So if you’re looking for a boat project and are not shy about boat maintenance, you will enjoy our tour. A “do-er upper”, for sure, which could be the perfect sailboat for someone looking to become a liveaboard cruiser.

Sadly, over the years we have come across many such cases of boats semi-abandoned in marinas around the world. They were once a big part of the owner’s dream, but circumstances mean they are no longer able to continue. Quite often they can be sailed away, like this one, but usually they need a bit of work.

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We would suggest that Sea Quest might need to be re-rigged, possibly new sails and the electronics would need an overhaul. Down below the decor is tired, but the layout is superb, really spacious. And there’s a washing machine!

BELOW DECKS

Let us know your thoughts, would you take on a project like this? (NOTE: we are not affiliated in any way with the owner or broker)

The mini refit continues at Krabi Boat Lagoon Marina, with Ton getting to grips with bending and fixing into place the new rain-catcher for the hard dodger roof. In the video, he gives us a lesson in how to bend wood. His expertise continues to impress us. We love Ton – in fact Jamie has admitted to a small man-crush on him!

TON BENDS WOOD LIKE BECKHAM BENDS BALLS!

And while Ton is getting on with the dodger, our painting team are making great progress with the deck and topsides. They have filled and fared all the marks, holes and dents, and have begun applying the undercoat.

CLICK IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE BOAT FOR SALE AND ALL THE WORK WE’RE DOING:

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO!

Jamie finds a real b*****d of a job to do around the cockpit, involving some tricky access from below decks. But first he has to hunt for the chuck key to his drill, because it isn’t in the place where it lives… Luckily Ton was on hand to help, while our old standby, butyl tape, comes to the rescue for sealing the fittings.

And finally, Liz has had enough and packs her bags to head off to the UK…

BYEEEE!

Her father is not doing so well, and at 91 has gone into full-time care, so she is taking a few weeks off to spend time with him. Of course, this means leaving Jamie behind to do all the work.
Nothing new there, then!

As always, thank you so much for your fantastic support!

Peace and fair winds, friends!

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/buy-an-old-sailboat/feed/2FITTING A RAIN CATCHER & DODGER UPDATE!https://followtheboat.com/fitting-a-rain-catcher-dodger-update/
https://followtheboat.com/fitting-a-rain-catcher-dodger-update/#respondSat, 09 Jun 2018 16:15:35 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=36017Preparations for the passage east to Alaska continue in the yard. This blogging and video channel malarkey is a real two-way street... we took your advice to retro-fit that rain-catcher onto the dodger roof. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us, you are an amazing bunch of supporters!]]>

Preparations for the passage east to Alaska continue in the yard

With all your experience and knowledge this blogging and video channel malarkey is a real two-way street… we took your advice to retro-fit that rain-catcher onto the dodger roof. Thank you for sharing your words of wisdom with us, you are an amazing bunch of supporters!

Everything we do is FREE! Feel like spreading a little love? Join our crew and become a Followtheboat Mate for less than the price of a coffee!

And look who’s back. Yes, Ton’s working on the rain-catcher design, and after years of Jamie asking him questions on camera this time he speaks.

There is still a lot to do before we will be ready to make the Pacific crossing. The old bimini and sprayhood rails came off, and nuts and bolts were removed. Access wasn’t easy, and it turned into a two-man (or rather a one-woman-one-man) job – we spared you the swearing this time! With holes through the deck all round Esper’s cockpit, the paint team got to work filling, faring and painting…

CLICK THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO:

CLICK THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO!

NOTE: Liz has been called back to the UK to see her 91 year old dad, Henry, who’s not doing too well. She will continue to update the blog from the UK and Jamie will keep the work on track in Thailand. We will ensure that our weekly videos continue to be posted…

Peace and fair winds, friends!

USEFUL LINKS

Becoming a Followtheboat Mate doesn’t float your boat? You can still help us! Please SHARE this post to spread the word…

]]>https://followtheboat.com/fitting-a-rain-catcher-dodger-update/feed/0SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 4: ELECTRICS & ELECTRONICShttps://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-4-electrics-electronics/
https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-4-electrics-electronics/#commentsSat, 09 Jun 2018 14:42:16 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35753The refit of SY Esper in Satun, Thailand, was extensive but perhaps the most complex aspect was the rewiring, which included the installation of a new navigation system, new lighting and additional circuits. ]]>

This is the fourth in our series of articles about SY Esper’s complete refit in Thailand for Sailing Today magazine.

The refit of Esper in Satun, Thailand, was extensive but perhaps the most complex aspect was the rewiring, which included the installation of a new navigation system, new lighting and extra circuits. We also had problems with corrosion around the distribution panel due to water ingress via a badly mounted deck fitting. With the boat stripped and gutted of her interior, the refit was a good time to tend to all these issues and improvements.

WIRING AND REWIRING

During the refit, Esper benefited from rewiring half her circuits. The other half (lighting and mains) was left as the condition of the wires was excellent: they hadn’t suffered any corrosion. The cables that were replaced were mainly external. This included the new instruments at the top of the mast, as well as existing instruments such as the VHF cable and cockpit. Internally, circuits were extended via junction boxes, while the distribution panel was ripped out and wired from scratch.

DISTRIBUTION PANEL

The distribution panel was completely rewired with an easy-to-follow line of cables that are labelled and fitted correctly – it is finally a joy to look at!

FROM THIS…

The leaking deck fitting was filled and the cupboards enclosed so that there is little chance of condensation build-up or extraneous leaks getting into the core of our panel. The whole area was divided into three ‘cupboards’ with the distribution panel and break panel on the right, while the middle cupboard houses the 12V to 12V regulators for the lights.

…TO THIS!

CHARGING CIRCUIT

The charging circuit, specifically the cabling between shore power or alternator to the batteries was in good order. The biggest addition to the circuit was the inclusion of 250A breakers before the battery terminals. We kept our Exide 6V golf cart batteries wired in series-parallel. They cost us $500 (c£412) in India, are in their fifth year and take a hammering as full-time liveaboards. We are not yet convinced of the price-performance ratio of alternatives like lithium. No doubt this will change in time, but for the moment as we cruise locations in Asia where only traditional flooded batteries are available, we’ll stick with the KISS principle.

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LIGHTS

Esper had been running LED lights since the first generation festoon LEDs were available, and we were the first boat we knew of to use an LED anchor light, but we wanted to go all LED. We purchased 5m strips through eBay, half of which were rated at IP68 (submersible in water). These were put around the areas closest to the outside (near hatches and in the galley). The strips were recessed behind the new headboards in channels that were painted black.

We divided up our lights into four main circuits: forepeak; saloon; galley and heads; and rear cabin. Each circuit, if powered on fully, will not draw any more than 10amps, which was the limit of our voltage regulators – more on that below.

LOWER LIGHTING IN SALOON

The lights in the saloon were divided up into six separate groups: upper, middle and lower, one on port and one on starboard. They were all wired via a six-way standard domestic switch, and then via a dimmer which, for the really lazy, has remote control too. We found that the LED remote control would not only dim the lights but turn the volume down on our stereo! With the lights receiving anything from 11.5V to 14.4V, depending on the state of the batteries, we wanted to ensure they didn’t burn out.

RED LED, LED RED (TRY REPEATING AND SAYING IT FAST!)

The LEDs we purchased were rated between 11V and 18V, but we didn’t want to take any chances, so we installed a voltage regulator on each circuit. These were purchased through eBay at around $45 (c£37) each and came as small heat-sink aluminum blocks. Another boat in the yard put in LED strips without voltage regulators and found they burnt out within 12 months.

SALOON LED LIGHTING

FANS

A sailor once told me a story of how a boat caught fire after a ceilingmounted fan was left running whilst the owners were ashore. The fan fell from the ceiling and smashed, but the motor kept running causing the fire. I swore to put our fans on separate circuits with the ability to isolate them all when we left the boat. Separating them from the lighting circuit reduces the draw on each circuit too.

USB CIGARETTE SOCKETS

Since we charge many devices via the 5V USB port, we opted to install USB sockets around the boat. We sourced these from a caravanning website so they match our light switches and have a useful surround to prevent wear on the veneer. We installed one waterproof double USB port in the cockpit box along with a waterproof cigarette lighter socket.

ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

We love our music. A good quality system with a large, easy to access library was paramount to our evening’s entertainment. We’ve always used an Alpine car head unit to run quadrophonic speakers, plus a sub when we want to, but we wanted to extend this to our movie collection.

REAR SPEAKER WITH INDIAN EMBROIDERED COVER

We sourced an Aleutia R40 12V mini PC, pulling just 1.1A. This then allows us to run external hard drives to store our music and movies, each of which is run via a 12V regulator to ensure there are no voltage spikes. We run the Kodi media player app via smartphone or tablet either to control the movie on TV or streamed to the device. The TV was the largest 19V flatscreen available at the time in Thailand, and was cheap. It is protected with another 12V to 19V regulator. With six speakers in the cockpit and four down below, not forgetting the small sub-bass, we use our sound system to scare off anyone who anchors too close.

BACKUP COMPUTER

For backup we run a Samsung notebook with a cheap 14in Acer monitor. We no longer use this for our primary navigation but have set it up to be there as backup should our primary navigation fail. It has a USB-powered GPS puck attached making it independent of the ship’s installed system.

MAINS AND INVERTER

The mains circuit didn’t need rewiring but we added additional mulch-sockets, which usefully allow for different plug types. We have wired our 1kw inverter in-line into the mains circuit, meaning we can switch between 240V shore power, or 12V run through the inverter to power the AC sockets. We’ve installed additional smaller inverters to run laptops and 240V fans.

NEW NAVIGATION SYSTEM

On our travels down the Red Sea, our original hydraulic ram packed up, so we were relying on our Windpilot windvane. All very well until you run over a fishing cable and rip off the auxiliary rudder so you’re left to hand-steer 1,200 miles across the Indian Ocean running with the southwest monsoon. With this in mind, the biggest improvement in all the electronic updates was the installation of a new B&G navigation system.

PLACING THE B&R REPEATERS

We inherited a B&G system when we bought the boat, but we think it was at least 20 years old and it suffered from the usual age-old problems, including a drying hydraulic ram and burnt out pixels on the display unit. One of our biggest gripes was not having a chartplotter at the binnacle, whilst plumbing in waypoints would take around two minutes per co-ordinate as the chart plotter took a while to draw each layer as you zoomed in and out.

B&G SHIPMENT ARRIVES IN THE BONDED WAREHOUSE

At the core of the new system is the rate-compass and Zeus 12in touchscreen, which acts as the master to run the charts and receive AIS. We have a Zeus 7in plotter in the cockpit, which is the slave. They share chart information between them, and both work on the NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 networks. Whilst the 12in touchscreen is an added luxury to have at the chart table, we wouldn’t do without the button-and-dial controlled 7in in the cockpit. Touchscreen is fine for tapping on menu items but they don’t ‘pinch to zoom’ in the same way tablets do, and any touchscreen is rendered near-useless when it gets wet. The system runs over Ethernet – useful for running a wi-fi network and a 4G radar. This last is solidstate, so up and running as soon as it’s turned on and drawing far fewer amps than our old, cheap Furuno 1623, which lasted all of two years. Also its ability to pick up small objects is phenomenal.

CLICK IMAGE TO HEAR WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT NAVIGATION APPS

CLICK FOR ADVICE ON BEST NAVIGATION APPS AND MORE

On one 120nm solo nightsail, I was concerned to see what I thought were long-tail fishing boats on the radar. Cursing the local fishermen for not lighting their vessels, it wasn’t until I went past one that I realized the radar was actually picking up the flags on the fish traps. The Triton displays are a joy to look at. They claim to allow zero condensation build-up, have a 170 degree viewing angle and, apparently, 30 per cent less draw than rivals. But it is the quality of the brightly coloured displays that really make them stand out.

CLICK THE IMAGE TO WATCH JAMIE TALKING ABOUT SOLO SAILING

SOLO SAILING IS GOOD FOR YOU!

Our two Tritons are mounted on the cockpit box, a distance of around 3m that Liz used to struggle with. These are clear enough for her to read them without her glasses. I’m a strong believer in networked, dedicated chart plotter navigation. While we use Navionics on our smart devices, we’ve been in conditions where smart phones and tablets become almost unusable, even with a waterproof housing. The fact you have to power these devices by USB and leave them on their brightest screen setting in daylight only compounds the problems of relying solely on a touch-screen smart device for navigating.

ADDITIONAL WIRING

We added a few peripherals, including a mizzen flood light, sourced from China for around $10; a cockpit light mounted under the binnacle which lights up the cockpit table, as well as waterproof USB and cigarette power points in the cockpit box.

IMPROVEMENTS, MISTAKES ETC

DISTRIBUTION PANEL – FINALLY A JOY TO LOOK AT!

With a year to plan our refit, we had the luxury of time on our side to consider and research all electronic options. We’re happy with our setup, as it answered all our current electronic requirements, built around our own specifications.

Given a larger budget, there were a few things we would have improved upon:

Our solar panels are now approaching 10 years old and, at the time of installation, matched our electronic consumption. This has since increased and we’d like to install additional panels, run via an MPPT controller.

With hindsight we should have stripped the fridges and rebuilt the insulation. Although our fridges are fairly efficient, I have no doubt the foam could do with replacing.

After installing our LED strips, it occurred to us that we could have backed the strips onto aluminium conduits instead of gluing them directly on to the wood. This might have reduced the possibility of over-heating and potential fire hazards but the lights do not get too hot and an aluminium strip may only have exacerbated the chances of overheating. The jury’s out on that one.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-4-electrics-electronics/feed/24K MAVIC PRO FLY-BY IN THE MANGROVES AT KRABI BOAT LAGOON MARINAhttps://followtheboat.com/4k-mavic-pro-fly-by-in-the-mangroves-at-krabi-boat-lagoon-marina/
https://followtheboat.com/4k-mavic-pro-fly-by-in-the-mangroves-at-krabi-boat-lagoon-marina/#respondMon, 04 Jun 2018 04:15:28 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35965A one-minute experiment in 4K - make sure you view in full 4K mode for all the glorious detail! We would love to hear from anyone with a 4K TV or projector. TBH we should have waited a couple of hours because we've just had the most stunning sunset, but it was too late and we were in the swimming pool by then... and the drone's not waterproof! ]]>

A one-minute experiment in 4K – make sure you view in full 4K mode for all the glorious detail! We would love to hear from anyone with a 4K TV or projector…

For the geeks: Shot in v-log and colour graded using the Ground Control LUT and saturation dialled down. A couple of blown-out highlights makes this less than perfect, but hey ho, it’s just a little weekend afternoon fun we wanted to share.

TBH we should have waited a couple of hours because we’ve just had the most stunning sunset, but it was too late and we were in the swimming pool by then… and the drone’s not waterproof!

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We are currently on the hard at Krabi Boat Lagoon Marina, Thailand, where this was shot. It is a small, quiet and tranquil place to be. And one of the cleanest and most spacious boat yards we’ve ever had the fortune to find.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/4k-mavic-pro-fly-by-in-the-mangroves-at-krabi-boat-lagoon-marina/feed/0WE’VE EXTENDED THE SHOP DISCOUNT FOR ANOTHER MONTH!https://followtheboat.com/weve-extended-the-shop-discount-for-another-month/
https://followtheboat.com/weve-extended-the-shop-discount-for-another-month/#respondSun, 03 Jun 2018 02:30:19 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35935We want to celebrate FTB's recent growth on YouTube here with you by extending the discount code for another month... Thanks so much for all your support. Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular blogs and videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.]]>

We want to celebrate FTB’s recent growth on YouTube here with you by extending the discount code for another month…

Thanks so much for all your support. Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular blogs and videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.

We have all kinds of goodies in our shop from t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs and more. This is a limited offer for our subscribers here on the blog until the end of the month.

So, if you fancy yourself in an FTB t-shirt, or like the idea of drinking a cuppa tea from an FTB mug, head over to the store before the end of June 2018, and use this code: ftb30k

Our shop is fulfilled in the US and in Europe, keeping delivery costs down.We love coming up with new ideas for products, so if you have any suggestions of what you’d like to see in our shop, drop them in the comments below.

Everything we do is FREE! Join our crew and become a Followtheboat Mate! It costs less than the price of a coffee…

Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/weve-extended-the-shop-discount-for-another-month/feed/0SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 3: HULL & MACHINE SHOPhttps://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-3-hull-machine-shop/
https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-3-hull-machine-shop/#respondSun, 03 Jun 2018 02:00:59 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35737One of the reasons for our visit to PSS boatyard in Satun, Thailand, was to determine what course of action we needed to take to tackle osmosis in our Oyster 435. We had dealt with the biggest blisters in the Maldives, but knew there was more work to do...]]>

The third in our series of articles about SY Esper’s complete refit in Thailand for Sailing Today looks at the hull, and how we dealt with the blisters. We also look at the brilliant work carried out by the machine shop.

One of the reasons for our visit to PSS boatyard was to determine what course of action we needed to take to tackle osmosis in our Oyster 435. We had dealt with the biggest blisters in the Maldives, but knew there was more work to do.

BLISTERS REVEALED IN THE MALDIVES

First of all we made a detailed inspection of the hull, testing several areas to see just how deep the blisters went. As we dug further, a vinegary liquid oozed out of the blisters and dripped down the surface, a clear sign that hydrolysis had occurred between the gelcoat and layers of resin and glassfibre.

The main advantage of having work done in this part of the world is the low cost of labour, so we were able to start grinding back the whole hull for further inspection.

Over five weeks, the yard workers had been round the hull with the grinder four times. At each stage they lifted just a thin layer for us to inspect with our local project manager. Eventually, we realised that all the gelcoat had to be removed, so now we were down to naked GRP. The holes had stopped weeping, but the hull was likely to be harbouring a concentrated solution of acid and blister-forming juices which had caused the bubbling.

LEK SPRAYS THE HULL

By now, we had calculated that our stay in the boat yard would likely exceed nine months, which meant a decent length of time to start the flushing and drying process. From the beginning we had regularly washed the hull, but now we stepped this up. Over the coming months we saturated the exposed surface every morning and evening with fresh water, allowing it to dry overnight. And at this point we started taking regular moisture readings at the same time of day in the same precise area, to keep a record of any changes. After five months we were ready to begin rebuilding the hull.

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Our hull team began by lightly sanding the hull to a smooth finish. Then they applied double layers of West System epoxy and biaxial glassfibre cloth to strengthen and build up the GRP. This is a delicate job, so they borrowed one of the paint team to help with the application of the epoxy, which must be smooth and bubble-free.

APPLYING THE BIAXIAL

Once the surface had cured, the next step was to apply more layers of epoxy and to fill and fair. We used West System’s 410 Microlight fairing compound mixed with epoxy. As the process progressed, any dips and blemishes were filled and faired to a smooth finish. Finally, we applied five layers of Jotamastic 87, a two-part epoxy mastic coating. Then we left the hull alone while we continued with the rest of the interior and deck work.

UPDATE – We are hauled again in Thailand four years since the osmosis treatment, and are pleased to report no bubbles!

TO KEEP OUT THE MONSOON, ESPER WAS PROTECTED UNDER A TENT

MACHINE SHOP

PSS is justifiably proud of its stainless steel workshop, so we took advantage of our time there to work with them on a number of projects.

We extended the tubular guard rail from the stern to side gates, giving us a lot more room to attach essential items like the solar panels, as well as a more solid rail to cling to in stormy weather.

WORKING ON THE BOW ROLLER

Together we designed a new pivoting bow roller for the anchor. The 33kg Rocna we bought in Turkey was too heavy to pull over the old roller, so Jamie often had to hoist the last metre by hand. We asked the machine shop to cut down to size our existing brass rollers, and set them in a new rocker. They also made a bed for the new roller because the removal of the teak meant the old one no longer fitted. Then the machine shop made a new bow plate to replace the old dented one.

In between larger jobs, they knocked up mounts for deck and mast paraphernalia like navigation lights, GPS mushroom antenna, radome, barbecue and more. When we realised the old brass fair-leads would no longer fit in the new teak toe rail they made new ones for us.

BRAND NEW FAIRLEAD

Fed up with hauling the dinghy up the side of the boat every night using a complicated rope system, we finally had davits made in the workshop.

When it came to a new swimming platform, we had to enlist the help of a machine shop in Hat Yai to bend the 3in outer stainless tube to shape. This was one of the few jobs in which mistakes were made. Admittedly it was not a straightforward design because the platform has to accommodate our Pacific Plus Windpilot. We wanted wide teak slats rather than stainless steel, so the head carpenter was enlisted to come up with the template. His first attempt took him all day, and would have been perfect if he hadn’t misread the depth measurement. On day two he presented a perfect template from which the stainless measurements would be taken. Sadly, the machine shop bent it to fit around the template, rather than within it. The tube was sent back, but could not be bent any further without affecting its integrity. PSS cut out a section in the middle and welded it back together to fit the template.

YEUNG WORKS ON THE SWIMMING PLATFORM

DRIVE SYSTEM

We disassembled the Max Prop and drilled in two grub screws so we will be able to grease it without disassembly. This gave us an opportunity to take out the shaft and inspect it. We found evidence of shaft crevice corrosion, although it was not too bad we knew it would be foolhardy not to use this opportunity to replace it, so the machine shop made a new one for us. The old cutlass bearing had seen better days so we sourced a local replacement made from Torlon. Finally, Jamie replaced our old stuffing box with a PSS Dripless seal. We hope it will mean less maintenance and inspections… and drier bilges.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-3-hull-machine-shop/feed/0WE’RE GROWING ON YOUTUBE!https://followtheboat.com/were-growing-on-youtube/
https://followtheboat.com/were-growing-on-youtube/#respondSat, 02 Jun 2018 08:16:34 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35928This week we hit 30,000 subscribers to our YouTube channel! We were so thrilled to reach such a milestone, and it's all because of the fantastic support we receive from you guys here, as well as our Patreons, Facebookers and Instagrammers.]]>

This week we hit 30,000 subscribers to our YouTube channel!

We were so thrilled to reach such a milestone, and it’s all because of the fantastic support we receive from you guys here, as well as our Patreons, Facebookers and Instagrammers.

Thank you for having faith in us, and for encouraging us to share our story. If you haven’t already checked out our sailing channel, click the image below.

Peace and fair winds!

CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE!

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/were-growing-on-youtube/feed/0WOODEN CLASSIC OR ULTRA MODERN SUPERYACHT? WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?https://followtheboat.com/wooden-classic-or-ultra-modern-superyacht-which-would-you-choose/
https://followtheboat.com/wooden-classic-or-ultra-modern-superyacht-which-would-you-choose/#respondSat, 02 Jun 2018 06:47:38 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35886Today we are talking about Marmite...two boats at the opposite end of the spectrum, and we'd like your opinion on them. We've already received feedback on one of the boats on our Facebook page, which ranges from 'fugly' to 'carbuncle'. But what is it?]]>

“You can have all the money in the world, but the half-wit that designed that monstrosity should go back to school and learn naval architecture. ‘Carbuncle’ is too good for that piece of crap, it wouldn’t even make a decent reef…”

Today we are talking about Marmite…two boats at the opposite end of the spectrum, and we’d like your opinion on them. We’ve already received feedback on one of the boats on our Facebook page, which ranges from ‘fugly’ to ‘carbuncle’. But what is it?

Before we go there, you may remember a couple of weeks back we featured a boatin on of our videos and asked if anyone knew anything about it.
Brian H suggested a Dragon, designed by a Norwegian in the 1920s. Frederick Rourk also suggested the Olympic Dragon Class, and says the dragon class is making a comeback. And then Daniel Whittington got it touch and suggested we speak to one of the shipwrights based here in Krabi Boat Lagoon, which we did, and we got the low-down.

So, is it a Dragon? Not quite, the boat we showed you is an S&S. In fact Sparkman and Stephens designed it with Herman Whiton, and it was constructed in 1934 in Nevins Boat Yard, New York. It’s actually a 6 metre class racing boat. You may think it looks way more than 6 metres, which is true. In fact six metres is a class. They were the smallest international racing class, and many of these boats were the most technologically advanced racing vessels. But the class stipulates these specifications:

38ft length overall

23 feet 6inches to the waterline

6 ft beam

5.5ft draft.

Somehow S&S managed to get away with it by designing SY Erne to a total length of 40′ 1″. So the 6 metre description is misleading because it’s actually closer to 12 metres. Of course they are very narrow, and also very heavy with no accommodation. The keel comprises almost 70% of the total weight.

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SY Erne was sold to a racing enthusiast and spent 20 years on the great lakes. The next 20 years she was spent with a naval architect, and for 20 years after that she was kept in Maine and Mystic, Connecticut. In 1994 she was acquired by Gabriel Feldman, a shipwright and boat captain who sailed and raced her. Unfortunately her recent history is a little hazy and no-one’s entirely sure how she ended up in Krabi Boat Lagoon.

<

Brian H suggested that SY Erne could have been a Norwegian designed dragon. Although he was wrong there, SY Vinnia (also featured in the video, next to SY Erne) was Norwegian, designed by Jensen and Anker in 1935. In fact the Dragon class was designed by Johan Anker in 1929, so there is a strong correlation between the two.

Love or hate?

A photo of a new superyacht has been doing the rounds on the sailing forums this week and we posted it up on our followtheboat facebook page. It generated an unprecedented amount of comments, 99% of which were ‘fugly’!

“Yacht A” is a 12,000 ton 142m superyacht, designed by Philippe Starck. It has free-standing carbon-fibre masts, manufactured in the UK. Doyle USA made the carbon fibre sails and the hull was built in Kiel in Germany.
But forget all that. What we want to know is, what do you think of it? We posted this up on our Facebook page and received a torrent of negative response, including the quote from Andrew Stokes above. “Eye pollution” says Ian Foster, “It’s not pretty. At all. No marine person was involved in the design me thinks….” suggests Ron Pieck.

To find out what we think of “Yacht A” check out the video…

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR VIDEO!

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/wooden-classic-or-ultra-modern-superyacht-which-would-you-choose/feed/0HAULING OUT OUR SAILBOAT IN A THAI HEATWAVE!https://followtheboat.com/hauling-out-our-sailboat-in-thailand/
https://followtheboat.com/hauling-out-our-sailboat-in-thailand/#respondFri, 01 Jun 2018 11:22:00 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35885Finally, the time has come for us to haul out. But man oh man, was it a hot day!
The hard-standing at Krabi Boat Lagoon is immaculate, comfortable and spacious. And ever mindful of his partner's needs, Jamie was clever enough to find us a place not too far from the wash rooms...]]>

Finally, the time has come for us to haul out. But man oh man, was it a hot day!

The hard-standing at Krabi Boat Lagoon is immaculate, comfortable and spacious. And ever mindful of his partner’s needs, Jamie was clever enough to find us a place not too far from the wash rooms…and close to the swimming pool.

While we acclimatised to life without a loo, and entry onto SY Esper via an almost vertical ladder, the painting team were preparing the hard roof of our dodger for its final coat. With a careful eye on the approaching storm clouds, they found enough of a window to get the job finished and ready for spraying the “Snow White” Awlcraft finish. And, as Ton said, it “look good”!

The only bonus about being out of the water is that Millie is stranded on board, there is no way she can get off, which means we can leave her to roam around the deck all night while we sleep below with the hatches open. The downside is that she has to use what most other house-bound moggies use, a kitty-litter tray. Oh the indignity!

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/hauling-out-our-sailboat-in-thailand/feed/0SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 2: DECKhttps://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-2-deck/
https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-2-deck/#commentsSun, 27 May 2018 00:00:01 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35786While waiting two months for a place in the boatyard, we began to question whether we were making the right decision to replace the wooden deck. No-one we met regretted getting rid of their teak, and the marinas were full of gleaming teak-less yachts. We watched owners make short work of scrubbing their decks without worrying about damaging the grain. ]]>

WOULD YOU REMOVE A TEAK DECK?

This is the second in our series of articles about SY Esper’s complete refit in Thailand for Sailing Today magazine.

After 25 years, even 15mm teak starts to show signs of wear. They didn’t skimp on teak back in those days, and every horizontal surface of the boat was covered in it. Beautiful. But the many leaks that had been patched over the nine years since we took possession of SY Esper needed serious attention.

Nav lights ripped off in gale

The chain-plates had been problematic from the start, most of the deck hatches, and a number of the other through-deck fittings, were not responding to being plugged any more. And all of this had been exacerbated by storms in the Maldives and a wet ride east to Malaysia in the southwest monsoon.

Thailand is the perfect place to have a teak deck fitted. The wood is easily available and at a fraction of the cost elsewhere. Skilled Thai carpenters have plenty of experience in wooden boatbuilding. Since there was still plenty of good wood on the boat –in some places it appeared almost untouched and in others it was worn thin – we wondered if re-caulking and sanding would be enough. After all, the new depth of teak would be about the same as most new builds. But the number of leaks, and a smashed section of toe rail, meant we really needed to get it all off. Removal would give us an opportunity to observe and rectify any problems that were going on underneath all that wood. So if we agreed that it must be removed, did we necessarily have to replace it?

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For many yacht owners who arrive in this part of the world, swapping old teak decks for new paint is an obvious choice. There are advantages, they say. For one thing, you can walk on your deck without wearing shoes. Since temperatures seldom dip below 30°C in the tropics, wooden decks become blisteringly hot. And it’s not just on deck that the temperature soars. All that wooden cladding is great for keeping warm and snug in northern Europe, but further south it means overheated cabins, saloon and heads.

While waiting two months for a place in the boatyard, we began to question whether we were making the right decision to replace the wooden deck. No-one we met regretted getting rid of their teak, and the marinas were full of gleaming teak-less yachts. We watched owners make short work of scrubbing their decks without worrying about damaging the grain. Liz held out for replacing the teak, but was finally persuaded to make the leap when we saw yet another shining high quality 85-footer with no teak.

We toyed with the idea of synthetic teak, and found some really nice weathered and grained versions. It’s installed using adhesives (no screw holes in the deck) and looks close to the real thing. There was no-one in Thailand who could sell and install the product at the time, and as it was too expensive to risk cocking up ourselves, the only alternative was to fly the product + a specialist over from Australia to do it for us, but that would have been more expensive than a new teak deck! It would have to be paint.

It took three weeks to remove the deck fittings, but finally Ton and Tui got to work smashing up our lovely teak and pulling out the screws like false teeth. Once the wood had gone, we were able to take a look at what lay beneath.

The old GRP was stripped, with particular attention paid to areas of obvious delamination where much of what remained peeled off quite easily. The reason for leaks down below became apparent, in particular the odd screw that had rusted or gone all the way through. Screw holes – of which there were thousands – were filled with epoxy. Further layers of pure epoxy were applied over the deck, followed by two thick sheets of biaxial fibreglass. Before any painting could be considered, the deck was built up even further with a mixture of epoxy paint and glassfibre bubbles (aka “micro balloons”) giving it the appearance of a badly iced wedding cake. Each application was sanded back by hand to a smooth surface.

With the deck stripped, we took the opportunity to make further changes.

There was some delamination which needed attention, in particular an odd gap between the rear raised area and the two lockers which adjoined it. They appeared to have been retro-fitted, and were probably what had been causing leaks around the overhead hatch in our cabin. The team dug out the crumbling fill, then applied epoxy and robust filler to ensure the drips would no longer keep us awake at night.

Leaking deck is filled

We removed the forward dorade box. Enough ventilation is provided by a large hatch to the front, and two small hatches to the rear. And, as a cutter-rigged ketch, removing the box freed up a lot of precious deck space.

A starboard portlight, which sits above the chart-table where all the vulnerable cables for the boat meet at the switch panel, was removed. It means reducing the amount of daylight, but gives us extra space around the chart table for electronics. We re-built and re-modelled the rear seat-boxes using strengthened glassfibre. The old, damaged toe rail was replaced by a sleeker design, which includes breaks along its length. The old cockpit ply box was chucked out and re-designed with a new curved glassfibre version.

The carpenters filled all the through-deck holes with wooden plugs they made by hand; this ensured we replaced every fitting in exactly the same place once the deck was finished.

In between rebuilding the deck, our paint team worked on the masts, booms, spreaders, other deck hardware, new cockpit boxes, rear box seats and the topsides. The carpenters constructed a new toe rail and repaired the rubbing strake. They also built and fitted new teak in the cockpit, using grey caulking instead of black, more in keeping with Esper’s new modern look.

SNOW WHITE

We had fun playing with colours, from considering wild changes like red or yellow to sticking with the original Oyster white. In the end, we chose ‘Snow White’ for everything, apart from the topsides which we changed to ‘Moondust’. We used Awlgrip for the non-slip surface and Awlcraft 2000 for practical purposes. Although Awlgrip polyester urethane forms a more abrasion resistant finish, Awlcraft loses significantly less thickness when buffed, and is easier to repair.

Before layers of undercoat and topcoat were applied, the painters built a clingfilm tent to protect the prepared surface from dust particles. On the days of painting, they poured water on the ground and sprayed the clingfilm and their overalls with any old paint which happened to be knocking around the boartyard. The water and wet paint acted like a magnet for any remaining particles lurking in the air, ensuring a blemish-free finish.

The entire process of re-building the deck and topsides was spread over a few months, including the kind of delays we learned to expect in Thailand: local and national holidays, high humidity, monsoon storms, late paint delivery, martial law, curfews and the head painter going AWOL. But we think the end result was worth it. Do you agree?

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CLICK IMAGE FOR THE FULL REFIT VIDEO PLAYLIST

]]>https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-2-deck/feed/3PREPARING TO SAIL TO ALASKA VIA JAPAN – Q&Ahttps://followtheboat.com/preparing-to-sail-to-alaska-via-japan-qa/
https://followtheboat.com/preparing-to-sail-to-alaska-via-japan-qa/#respondSat, 26 May 2018 13:00:34 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35830We have a whole lot of work to do before we head to Japan and the PNW. This week we answered some of your comments about the changes we're making to SY Esper. We've received tons of suggestions, questions and advice! If you have a comment please don't hesitate to write it here on Patreon, Facebook or YouTube.]]>

Can you have your fridge and heat it?!

We are planning to sail 7500 miles from Thailand to Alaska via Japan, and we have a whole lot of work to do. This week we answered some of your comments about the changes we’re making to SY Esper. We’ve received tons of suggestions, questions and advice! If you have a comment please don’t hesitate to write it here, on Patreon, Facebook or YouTube.

We also let you know the latest on Millie’s brush with rabies, and answer your concerns about letting her off the boat.

Everything we do is free. Feel like spreading a little love? Join our crew and become a Followtheboat Mate for less than the price of a coffee!

So what is the best way to heat a boat? There are various options, including diesel stoves and diesel hot-air systems among others. Hot-air heaters are efficient and good at the job, but do they use too much power? We’re committed to a Dickinson heater, but should we also install an Espar or Webasto? What would you do?

CLICK THIS IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO:

CLICK THIS IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Our Airmar triducer has kicked the bucket and a number of people wondered if there might be an alternative, “how about a fish finder instead?” they said?

Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular blogs and videos, or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations. Thanks for being you.

CLICK THIS IMAGE FOR THE FULL JAPAN/PNW PLAYLIST:

Click for Japan/PNW PLAYLIST

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/preparing-to-sail-to-alaska-via-japan-qa/feed/0IT HASN’T ALL BEEN PLAIN SAILINGhttps://followtheboat.com/it-hasnt-all-been-plain-sailing/
https://followtheboat.com/it-hasnt-all-been-plain-sailing/#respondSat, 26 May 2018 05:43:59 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35844During the 12 years we've been liveaboards we've dodged pirates, survived gales and sustained injuries to boat and body. Neither of us had owned any kind of boat before we bought SY Esper, and it was a steep learning curve. The biggest lesson to date was when we tried crossing the equator in the Maldives. The gale that hit us wasn't predicted, and we hadn't prepared properly. ]]>

During the 12 years we’ve been liveaboards we’ve dodged pirates, survived gales and sustained injuries to boat and body.

Five years ago we were just off the coast of the Maldives, battling through the worst gale we have encountered so far. This is why we are being so careful in our preparations for the next big crossing. We never want to be in the same position again, but if we are we want to be better prepared.

Everything we do is free. Feel like spreading a little love? Join our crew and become a Followtheboat Mate for less than the price of a coffee!

Neither of us had owned any kind of boat before we bought SY Esper, and it was a steep learning curve. The biggest lesson to date was when we tried crossing the equator in the Maldives. The gale that hit us wasn’t predicted, and we hadn’t prepared properly. Jamie wrote about it afterwards here on the blog at the time, but you may have missed it.

CLICK THIS IMAGE TO BE TAKEN TO THE FULL STORY:

CALM ENOUGH TO TAKE A QUICK SNAP

We have come a long way in 12 years, you won’t believe how naive we were at the start! And this is why we enjoy sharing the ups and downs with you now, perhaps our experiences will help you one day.

Peace and fair winds!

Liz, Jamie and Millie xxx

kNACKERED AFTER 4 DAYS OF HELL

PS. Millie came through this gale with us without a murmur of complaint. She truly is a salty sea cat.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/it-hasnt-all-been-plain-sailing/feed/0EMERGENCY TRIP TO KL!https://followtheboat.com/emergency-trip-to-kl/
https://followtheboat.com/emergency-trip-to-kl/#respondSat, 26 May 2018 04:36:04 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35820This is the story of our eleventh hour escape from Thailand to KL, Malaysia... While the painters continued to make fast work of the hard dodger roof, Liz woke up remembering that it was about time to renew our visas in Thailand. For just 1900 THB we would extend our stay a further 30 days. Sweet.]]>

This is the story of our eleventh hour escape from Thailand to Kuala Lumpur…

While the painters continued to make fast work of the hard dodger roof, Liz woke up remembering that it was about time to renew our visas in Thailand. For just 1900 THB we would extend our stay a further 30 days. Sweet.

It’s a simple process, but the problem was they expired that day. Immediate action was required, but since it was the weekend Immigration was closed. Overstaying our deadline would mean a fine, even being forced to leave and banned from returning for a few months.

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After the initial waves of embarrassment, horror and panic washed over us, we settled into the prospect of a mini break in Malaysia’s capital city. After all, we would have had to do a proper visa run to Malaysia for our three month Thai visa at some point, so it actually made sense to go now.

While we love the tranquility of living on the ocean and coastlines, we also enjoy an occasional dip into city life. But we never expected it to be so loud!

Click the image for video:

The dodger roof, meanwhile, was starting to look like Jamie’s vision. We left the painting team back in the marina, faring and smoothing to get it ready for spraying. When we returned we were amazed by the difference, our new hard roof was starting to look pretty good..

PS. While we were away, Millie stayed on Esper where she was given massive love and attention by several of our marina neighbours. Cheers, guys!

Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular blogs and videos, or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations. Thanks for being you.

So who’s fault was it? You decide!

IT WASN’T ME…

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/emergency-trip-to-kl/feed/0SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 1: INTERIORhttps://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-2-interior/
https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-2-interior/#commentsFri, 18 May 2018 10:11:51 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35706This is the second in our series of articles about SY Esper's complete refit in Thailand for Sailing Today magazine. The interior of SY Esper, our Oyster 435, took a beating when the saloon hatch broke open during a storm in the Indian Ocean, but the veneer had been steadily deteriorating for some time before that.]]>

This is the first in our series of articles about SY Esper’s complete refit in Thailand for Sailing Today magazine.

Water-damaged sole boards

The interior of SY Esper, our Oyster 435, took a beating when the saloon hatch broke open during a storm in the Indian Ocean, but the veneer had been steadily deteriorating for some time before that. She was 25 years old, and our old girl needed a face lift. Mindful of the price of wood veneer, we looked for different options like paint effects or simple white laminate to keep things bright. But no decisions could be made until the wood was stripped away and we could see what was going on underneath.

Peeling veneer on walls

The carpenters got to work with their chisels. It was satisfying seeing the warped, flaking and discoloured patches disappear, but painful to see the good stuff go. Underneath the peeling veneer, freshly-revealed ply appeared in good condition. We replaced old carpet lining inside most lockers with smooth white laminate, which makes life more difficult for cockroaches and other pests to gain a foothold.

One of the difficulties in managing a project of this scale is keeping a handle on the big picture. Sometimes this meant removing ourselves from daily manual labour to spend time on research. Updating and repairing the interior was one of the main reasons for undertaking the refit so we wanted to get it right. We borrowed ideas from interior design magazines, placing a whiteboard in the saloon on which we created a mood board with photos, torn magazine pages and colour samples. We shelved the idea of paint effects when we discovered how reasonably-priced wood veneer is in Thailand.

We applied the veneer with the grain running horizontally, and removed the dated, raised trim surrounding the locker doors. Both these changes trick the eye into believing the interior is wider than it really is. Keeping things bright, we chose ‘White Vine’, the palest veneer available. We matched the solid ash features with a limewash effect, first by painting the wood white, then sanding back to a thin film so that paint remained in the grain. We finished with satin polyurethane rather than varnish to avoid a yellowing effect.

In the galley we chose brushed steel laminate, which is much easier to keep clean than veneer. While exploring the laminate warehouse, we stumbled across a tomato-red full gloss sheet, which we snapped up to add a colourful accent to the galley’s end wall. In a moment of serendipity, one of the carpenters got excited by this shiny colour and applied it along the full length of the upper recessed shelves. It looked great, so we kept it.

We replaced the white laminate throughout the aft heads, added a smart flecked white composite stone sink surround, and applied semi-matte fuchsia and lime laminate on opposing walls. The composite was an off-cut donated by another yacht owner. During the year we spent in the yard we received and donated all kinds of materials; nothing ever went to waste, often saving us all time and money.

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The most exciting changes were made to the layout. After seven years of living aboard, we knew what we wanted to change. Sockets were in the wrong place, cabin space was wasted, the chart table design was not practical, we didn’t need two heads, the shower room was a luxury we had turned into a storage area long ago, the fridge door was cumbersome and the saloon table was too big. We realised pretty soon we would never have a chance to refit like this again.

CHART TABLE

The boat had come with a large chart table running amidships along the starboard side, under which a swingout stool was secured when not in use. With the advance of electronic navigation, we were using charts only as back up and had no need of a large table. Jamie coveted a classic small table with forward-facing seat which he would be able to use as an office. The carpenters built a completely new area, including a cabinet of small drawers for all those important tools and essential bits of kit.

FOREPEAK

The traditional layout consisted of a door leading off the saloon into a small corridor, with bunks on the starboard side. On the port side was a door to the forward heads, and another door led to the fore cabin in front. In the heads were two more doors, one to a stand-up shower room with a seat and shelves, the other directly into the fore cabin: five doors!

Although there was plenty of room in the forepeak, it was hopelessly laid out for long-term liveaboard purposes. Within two years of moving on board we turned most of it into a storage area and workshop, removing all the doors, apart from the one dividing it from the saloon. Guests slept on the bunks or in the saloon.

We opted to radically re-design the area. Liz needed a quiet area to work, and the forward heads/shower space seemed like a good option. Without touching the bulkheads, we removed the partition walls and opened up the area. We added a curved wall feature to give Liz’s open-plan office some style. The bunks were still useful for storage which could be removed if we needed them as beds, and we didn’t touch the fore cabin, which was now easier to access without the doors. The toilet and shower were removed and through-hull fittings filled. This gave us an easily accessible place underneath Liz’s new bench seat to plumb in the watermaker. With striped upholstery, a curved wall, swing-up table and lots of new shelves and lockers the forepeak is now a smart and practical space.

CABIN

CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL REFIT PLAYLIST

Storage in the main cabin had been a sore point. There was a small wardrobe and inaccessible locker on the starboard side, and a redundant third berth to port. To gain storage space, we built shelves into the wardrobe, doubling the amount of clothes we could store, and removed the third berth to create a double row of lockers. We also cut out a large panel and created a new locker where the cavity containing exhaust and fuel pipes had been. For safety’s sake, we installed a fume detector.

SY Esper has been home for nearly 10 years, so it is crammed with belongings and souvenirs from our travels. Building the extra storage was almost the most exciting aspect of the whole project. When the interior was finished, not only did it look beautiful, but we had whole lockers now standing empty.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-refit-pt-2-interior/feed/4CAN YOU WORK OUT WHERE WE’VE BEEN SHOPPING?https://followtheboat.com/can-you-work-out-where-weve-been-shopping/
https://followtheboat.com/can-you-work-out-where-weve-been-shopping/#commentsFri, 18 May 2018 03:00:41 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35671What do you do when the painters are spraying the top coat in the cockpit? Get off the boat, of course! For the duration of our time hauled out, we are staying on SY Esper. Uncomfortable at the best of times, it can become downright impossible sometimes. ]]>

It’s been a week of staying on and off the boat. The first reason for getting off was simple enough…

What do you do when the painters are spraying the top coat in the cockpit? Get off the boat, of course! For the duration of our time hauled out, we are staying on SY Esper. Uncomfortable at the best of times, it can become downright impossible sometimes. The work is going at a fast pace, which is great, but all of a sudden we needed to find somewhere to stay over night.

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Luckily, here in Krabi Boat Lagoon Marina, there are some smart apartments available for rent from one day to twelve months. So we packed a bag, and off we went. But it also meant packing Millie’s bag and taking her with us. To say she was unimpressed with being off the boat is an understatement…

But that wasn’t the only night off the boat. A couple of days later we realised we needed to get a whole lot of boaty bits and to do a little more research for the new dodger. This time we had a little further to go. Take a look at the featured image at the top of the page and the pic below. Have you any idea where we went and why we stayed overnight? Answers below!

Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/can-you-work-out-where-weve-been-shopping/feed/2“WHAT ABOUT THE BIRD POO”? – DODGER Q&A 2https://followtheboat.com/what-about-the-bird-poo-dodger-qa-2/
https://followtheboat.com/what-about-the-bird-poo-dodger-qa-2/#respondThu, 17 May 2018 07:39:46 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35669What will you do with the bird shit? Who cares what you call it, why not a "Boaty Brolly?" We answer your questions...
What does a job like this cost in Thailand? And how long did it take? Where do you put your removable dodger? Will we have windows, and if so where should they go? Why is the helmsman still not under cover?]]>

What will you do with the bird shit? Who cares what you call it, why not a “Boaty Brolly?” We answer your questions…

What does a job like this cost in Thailand? And how long did it take? Where do you put your removable dodger? Will we have windows, and if so where should they go? Why is the helmsman still not under cover?

Everything we do is FREE! Feel like spreading a little love? Join our crew and become a Followtheboat Mate for less than the price of a coffee!

We’ve had so much feedback on Patreon and on YouTube that we have put together a second Q&A specifically on the new dodger build. It’s a long, slow process, which is pretty useful because some of the suggestions we have been receiving have made us re-think parts of the process.

Click image for video

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO

Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/what-about-the-bird-poo-dodger-qa-2/feed/0RABIES – PIRATES – DODGER Pt 3https://followtheboat.com/rabies-pirates-dodger-pt-3/
https://followtheboat.com/rabies-pirates-dodger-pt-3/#respondThu, 17 May 2018 06:50:50 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35670RABIES! A word guaranteed to strike terror into the hearts of everyone. So when Millie got bitten and fell ill, and in turn bit Jamie, we let the full horror of the situation sink in, then shot off to the hospital...]]>

RABIES! A word guaranteed to strike terror into the hearts of everyone. So when Millie got bitten and fell ill, and in turn bit Jamie, we let the full horror of the situation sink in, then shot off to the hospital…

In this week’s update, we leave Ton and Lek in charge of making the dodger while we head off to Koh Lanta with our friend, American McGee, for the second annual Pirate Jam event.

It was great to be out of the marina, to be sailing, to be at anchor, and to be visiting some of the best beaches in Thailand. For us it was a holiday, for the game developers it was work…and a bit of a holiday too. They sweated over their laptops to come up with some pretty impressive games in just one week. And when they weren’t hard at work, we whipped them into physical shape with beach games and races.

Everything we do is FREE! Feel like spreading a little love? Join our crew and become a Followtheboat Mate for less than the price of a coffee!

Back in the yard, work had progressed and Ton was now at the point of readying the hard top for the paint team.

Click the image below to view the video

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO

As for the Rabies scare, we all had shots. Jamie and Millie had a post-prevention course of 5 injections and Liz had the usual inoculation course of three injections. We’re all fit for a year, but it looks like we will be making this an annual part of our health regime from now on…

Thanks for watching and for coming along for the ride. Without the encouragement you continue to give us, we would not be producing regular work or be able to continue to push our imaginations.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/rabies-pirates-dodger-pt-3/feed/0DISCOUNT CODE FOR FOLLOWTHEBOAT SHOP!https://followtheboat.com/discount-code-for-followtheboat-shop/
https://followtheboat.com/discount-code-for-followtheboat-shop/#commentsSat, 12 May 2018 23:00:03 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35576So, if you fancy yourself in an FTB t-shirt, or like the idea of drinking a cuppa tea from an FTB mug, head over to the store and use this code...We love coming up with new ideas for products, so if you have any suggestions of what you'd like to see in our shop, drop them in the commentsa below.]]>

We have all kinds of goodies in our shop from t-shirts and hats to mugs and more. And just for a limited time, we are offering a discount here on the blog.

So, if you fancy yourself in an FTB t-shirt, or like the idea of drinking a cuppa tea from an FTB mug, head over to the store before the end of May 2018, and use this code: ftbdodger

Our shop is fulfilled in the US and in Europe, keeping delivery costs down. We love coming up with new ideas for products, so if you have any suggestions of what you’d like to see in our shop, drop them in the comments below.

Everything we do is FREE!

Feel like spreading a little love?
Join our crew and become a Followtheboat Mate!
It costs less than the price of a coffee…

Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/discount-code-for-followtheboat-shop/feed/2BUILDING A HARD DODGER – Q&A 1https://followtheboat.com/building-a-hard-dodger-qa-1/
https://followtheboat.com/building-a-hard-dodger-qa-1/#respondFri, 11 May 2018 07:24:56 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35646Should we raise the boom to get more space in the cockpit? Will we add hand rails? How about lighting? How removable is our removable dodger? And where is Liz going to put the glitter ball...]]>

Should we build a rain catcher, and is it wise to put solar panels on the roof? Why not use polyester instead of epoxy?

As promised earlier in the the last video, here is the Q&A special on the first of our hard dodger construction videos.

Should we raise the boom to get more space in the cockpit? Will we add hand rails? How about lighting? How removable is our removable dodger? And where is Liz going to put the glitter ball…

Everything we do is FREE!

Feel like spreading a little love?
Join our crew and become a Followtheboat Mate!
It costs less than the price of a coffee…

There were a ton of comments and questions on Pt 1 in the series, and we already have quite a few on YouTube and our Patreon page in response to Pt 2! Patrons are guaranteed to have their questions answered on camera, and we do always try to answer your comments here on the blog, but we will also answer them on camera if we have time. So fire away with any observations and suggestions below!

Click image for video

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO

If we continue to get the same volume of feedback, we’ll make it a regular weekly feature.

Thanks for all your support, mates!

Peace and fair winds from we three.

Liz, Jamie and Millie xxx

CURRENT LOCATION: Krabi Boat Lagoon Marina: 8°00’40.0″N 98°57’39.2″E

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/building-a-hard-dodger-qa-1/feed/0BUILDING A HARD DODGER Pt 2https://followtheboat.com/building-a-hard-dodger-from-scratch-pt-2/
https://followtheboat.com/building-a-hard-dodger-from-scratch-pt-2/#respondThu, 10 May 2018 15:00:45 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35640BUILDING A HARD DODGER FROM SCRATCH Pt 2: All was going well until 'Big Boss' decided the design looked skewiff. So off with the forward struts and back to the drawing board. It's going to be a long process!]]>

With the agreed template in hand, Ton and Tui got to work immediately on fabricating the honeycomb and fiberglass construction…

All was going well until ‘Big Boss’ decided the design looked skewiff. So off with the forward struts and back to the drawing board. It’s going to be a long process!

Meanwhile, we came up with a great excuse for taking a day out of Krabi Boat Lagoon Marina and headed off for a quick trip to Malaysia to renew our Thai visas. The process couldn’t have been simpler, and we hope you enjoy the footage of our drive through southern Thailand.

Everything we do is FREE!

Feel like spreading a little love?
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It costs less than the price of a coffee…

Back in Krabi, the carpenters worked with the stainless steel team to add strength to the design…

With an appointment that was too important to miss, we sailed off to Koh Lanta, leaving Ton in charge of carpentry and Lek in charge of stainless. Would they be able to get on with the project without us being there? Find out in next week’s episode!

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO

We are going to put together a special Q&A on the dodger because of all the questions and comments our last video prompted, and if it’s successful we plan to do one Q&A per week. So feel free to add your thoughts below.

Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.

Thank you, friends!

Peace and fair winds from we three.

Liz, Jamie and Millie

CURRENT LOCATION: Krabi Boat Lagoon Marina: 8°00’40.0″N 98°57’39.2″E

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/building-a-hard-dodger-from-scratch-pt-2/feed/0FOLLOWTHEBOAT IN YACHTING MONTHLYhttps://followtheboat.com/followtheboat-in-yachting-monthly/
https://followtheboat.com/followtheboat-in-yachting-monthly/#respondTue, 08 May 2018 10:17:44 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35629FOLLOWTHEBOAT IN YACHTING MONTHLY! If you weren't able to pick up a copy of Yachting Monthly earlier this year, you probably missed our article all about the astonishing Anamabas...]]>

Unique. Remote. Untouched. A cruiser’s dream!

If you weren’t able to pick up a copy of Yachting Monthly earlier this year, you may have missed our article all about the astonishing Anambas, our favourite cruising destination in SE Asia so far…

USEFUL LINKS

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/followtheboat-in-yachting-monthly/feed/0BUILDING A HARD DODGER Pt 1https://followtheboat.com/building-a-hard-dodger-from-scratch-pt-1/
https://followtheboat.com/building-a-hard-dodger-from-scratch-pt-1/#commentsThu, 03 May 2018 09:45:06 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35546Building a hard dodger from scratch is no easy task, but finally crunch day arrived and we had to get started on our mini boat refit. So, after a few false starts, we began working on a template with our carpenters.]]>

We’ve spent months trying to come up with a hard dodger design which is going to be practical for our passage to the PNW via Japan…

Building a hard dodger from scratch is no easy task, but finally crunch day had arrived and it was time to start our mini boat refit. So, after a few false starts, we began working on a template with our carpenters.

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It costs less than the price of a coffee…

The full new enclosure and sprayhood needs to be sturdy and capable of withstanding some of the harsh weather we expect to encounter during the passage. The current set-up will not cut it because above all we need shelter from the sea, rain and wind to have at least a chance of remaining dry.

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO

Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/building-a-hard-dodger-from-scratch-pt-1/feed/2SO THIS IS WHERE WE WERE… AND WHY WE WERE THERE!https://followtheboat.com/so-this-is-where-we-were-and-why-we-were-there/
https://followtheboat.com/so-this-is-where-we-were-and-why-we-were-there/#respondTue, 01 May 2018 04:31:59 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35529The image was taken from the KLCC park, next to the Petronas Towers. If you've been there, you'll know how beautiful the gardens are and how well they are maintained. We loved walking through them. But the biggest surprise for us was just how gleaming and spectacular the tower are, much more beautiful than most of the over-saturated pics we'd seen on postcards and the web.]]>

Yes, you were right! We were in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The image was taken from the KLCC park, next to the Petronas Towers. If you’ve been there, you’ll know how beautiful the gardens are and how well they are maintained. We loved walking through them. But the biggest surprise for us was just how gleaming and spectacular the towers are, much more beautiful than most of the over-saturated pics we’d seen on postcards and the web.

So why were we there?

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We woke up in Thailand on Saturday morning to discover our visas had run out. What a pair of plonkers. So we sped off to Krabi Immigration to get a 30 day extension, only to find all the offices closed for the weekend. Not wanting to jeopardise our cosy relationship with the Thai authorities by outstaying our welcome, we got on Skyscanner and looked for flights to Malaysia.

CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL DISCLOSURE!

Luckily for us there was a flight to KL that afternoon, so we raced back, packed a bag, got a good cat-loving friend to cat-sit Millie and buggered off.

We would have had to do a visa run anyway, so it wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened, and it gave us an opportunity to have a quick look at Malaysia’s capital city!

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/so-this-is-where-we-were-and-why-we-were-there/feed/0ANOTHER SIX SAILING & CRUISING QUESTIONS ANSWERED!https://followtheboat.com/another-six-sailing-cruising-questions-answered/
https://followtheboat.com/another-six-sailing-cruising-questions-answered/#respondMon, 30 Apr 2018 07:45:44 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=355141. Does living on a boat get old? 2. How to dress in muslim countries 3. Five reasons to go solo sailing 4. Are sailing channels selling out? 5. Catamaran v monohull. Which is best? 6. How to dump trash on a boat]]>

Six more videos cover off more daily questions put to us by our FANTASTIC supporters.

DOES LIVING ON A BOAT GET OLD?

HOW TO DRESS IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES

FIVE REASONS TO GO SOLO SAILING

ARE SAILING CHANNELS SELLING OUT?

CATAMARAN V MONOHULL. WHICH IS BEST?

HOW TO DUMP TRASH ON A BOAT

These episodes fall outside of our normal weekly vlogs so we’ve added them to our special Q&A PLAYLIST. You can view them all here from the comfort of followtheboat!

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]]>https://followtheboat.com/another-six-sailing-cruising-questions-answered/feed/0CAN YOU GUESS WHERE WE ARE?https://followtheboat.com/can-you-guess-where-we-are/
https://followtheboat.com/can-you-guess-where-we-are/#commentsThu, 26 Apr 2018 05:42:25 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35506Can you guess where we are (easy!)... but can you guess WHY we are here?]]>

More importantly, can you guess why we are here? Answers below… and we’ll give you the real reason in a day or two, keep watching the comments!

Do you enjoy our blog and videos?

Everything we do is FREE! If you want to show some love and appreciation for our work become a Followtheboat Mate for less than the price of a coffee.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/can-you-guess-where-we-are/feed/13SAILING 200 MILES FROM MALAYSIA TO THAILAND IN 15 MINUTES!https://followtheboat.com/sailing-200-miles-from-malaysia-to-thailand-in-15-minutes/
https://followtheboat.com/sailing-200-miles-from-malaysia-to-thailand-in-15-minutes/#respondThu, 26 Apr 2018 05:32:07 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35499It's about time we shared some of the joys of sailing with you. In this passage, we day-hopped with some of the best winds we've ever had from Malaysia to Thailand. Sit back, enjoy the ride and take in the views, it was AWESOME!]]>

It’s about time we shared some of the joys of sailing with you. In this passage, we day-hopped with some of the best winds we’ve ever had from Malaysia to Thailand. Sit back, enjoy the ride and take in the views, it was AWESOME!

With the mini refit and boat preparation for SY Esper firmly in our sights, we needed to get to Thailand for the work to be carried out. Sailing to the Pacific Northwest is going to put all our skills and Esper’s powers to the test, so we have a big job ahead of us.

Click on the image to view video.

The vlog has been a little behind because we had so much beautiful footage of the Anambas to bring you, but we’ve nearly caught up with real time now, and we look forward to bringing you weekly updates of our progress along with our shenanigans around Krabi.

Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.

Do you enjoy our blog and videos?

Everything we do is FREE! If you want to show some love and appreciation for our work become a Followtheboat Mate for less than the price of a coffee.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/sailing-200-miles-from-malaysia-to-thailand-in-15-minutes/feed/05 Reasons NOT To Start A Sailing YouTube Channel!https://followtheboat.com/5-reasons-not-to-start-a-sailing-youtube-channel/
https://followtheboat.com/5-reasons-not-to-start-a-sailing-youtube-channel/#commentsFri, 20 Apr 2018 11:06:31 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35432"You both seem like a couple of hoity-toity rich people who, if given a million dollars in cash, would complain they weren't new bills…" Ah the joy of having a sailing channel, it's money for old rope, isn't it? And people appreciate all that hard work, don't they? We explain what it is really like to have a YouTube sailing channel.]]>

“You both seem like a couple of hoity-toity rich people who, if given a million dollars in cash, would complain they weren’t new bills…”

IT’S A FULL-TIME JOB

The main reason we decided to live on a boat was to escape the rat-race, but having a sailing channel is like working again. Bringing out a new video every week eats into your sailing and travelling time. When we started, it took half the week to edit one episode!

BUT: Although you could call it ‘work’ it’s something we love doing! Jamie’s kept a diary since he was a kid, and we’ve had a blog since before we started this life back in 2006, it progressed to recording podcasts, a full-blown website and now weekly videos. It’s our hobby, something we love doing, so it doesn’t feel like work to us.

It’s true that a sailing channel eats into your time, not just the filming and editing, but all the marketing, social media and answering questions requires a lot of attention. But then what else are you gonna do? Sailing only accounts for about 10% of a cruiser’s time. The rest is spent travelling on land. Some people learn languages, improve their cooking skills, do a little work around the area for other sailors or like bird-watching. You need other interests as a cruiser – for us it’s video-making

It took a long time to get to grips with what to film and how to edit. It’s a steep learning curve to get it right and we are still pushing ourselves and learning new skills, so it really helps to keep your brain active.

A SAILING CHANNEL WILL NOT MAKE YOU RICH

Unless you’re SV Delos (259k+ subscribers) or La Vagabonde (388k+ subscribers), both excellent and well executed channels which have been around for a long while, you will not make huge amounts of money. And even these popular sailing channels are dwarfed by the most successful YouTube channels – Philip DeFranco (6m) Casey Neistat (9m) PewDiePie (62m). Sailing’s a pretty small and niche corner.

YouTube monetised videos do make an income, but you need hundreds of thousands of views per upload to start to make anywhere near a living from advertising revenue.

Patreon and our Buy Us A Beer (“Rum Fund” on followtheboat) are both ways of getting a little cash for your efforts, but unless you can attract thousands of followers, it won’t be enough to keep you afloat. After two years, we have 28k subscribers and 267 fantastic, awesome, generous patreons! That’s less than 1% of our YouTube subscribers. Even Delos (last time we looked) had only 1881 and La Vagabonde 2021 patrons, way less than 1% of their subscribers.

Finally, the monthly outlay and on-going operation costs are expensive:

Camera and sound equipment (check out our equipment in the descriptions underneath any of our YouTube videos)

Laptops powerful enough for editing big files. (NOTE – equipment doesn’t fair well in a marine environment, so expect to be replacing far more often than you would on land)

Upload charges using phone wifi in faraway places can be very expensive.

Do you enjoy our blog and videos?

Everything we do is FREE! If you want to show some love and appreciation for our work become a Followtheboat Mate for less than the price of a coffee.

FILMING IS DIFFICULT ON A BOAT

Boats make filming difficult – they rock about all over the place, the wind never stops, and the lighting changes rapidly.

Once bitten by the filming bug, you’ll see the flaws in films which you never noticed before. You’ll be rewinding all the time to check out why that scene looked so good – or so bad!
BUT… You’ll find new angles, filming techniques and methods of story-telling to improve your own output. It’s a great learning exercise and what you find will inspire you!

SEX, DISASTERS & NEGATIVITY

Yep, sex sells. So unless you can fill your boat with bikini-clad girls and ripped boys, you won’t attract the big numbers. Our video entitled “Naked Sailing” has 182k+ views… way higher than our average total views.

‘Disaster’ posts are always popular, so unless you are going to have some kind of disaster, manufacture one or write click-baity titles, expect to be less than popular with your average YouTuber.

Depressingly, negative videos are more popular than a positive story. We recently brought out two videos on boat ownership and were astonished at the popularity of one of them.
At the time of writing “5 Reasons NOT to Buy a Boat” has 101k views, while “5 Reasons Why You SHOULD Buy a Boat” comes in at a lowly 12.7k views. And that’s despite a thumbnail which says “Boats Are Sexy” Haha!

Click image for video:

PEOPLE WILL HATE YOU!

This is the biggy. You really need a thick skin when it comes to reading comments.

People will correct your spelling, pronunciation and everything you say.

They will make all kinds of assumptions about you

Some will feel it’s their duty to criticise your appearance.

And some will explain why other sailing channels are better than yours

“…go back to your condo…”

“…stop whinging…”

“…this video should be titled middle aged people state the bleeding obvious…”

“…typical whinging poms…”

“…some folks see the cup half full, some half empty, these folks are the latter…”

“… I find all of your negative opinions completely wrong. I have been sailing for over sixty years and I am enjoying every day of it. I think you have a bad attitude…”

“…so, begging for $$$, lmfao@you…”

“…Poms complain all the time…”

“…does your wife spit or swallow?…”

And there are many more unrepeatable comments, mostly about our appearance, age, being rich (if only that were true!) and being British!

You’ll be surprised how many people simply hate the fact that YouTubers ask for some kind of financial reward. You see these kinds of comments all over YouTube channels:
“…Stop begging for money from Patreon and other social media and get a proper job!”
They fail to notice that we are all working hard at putting out content for free, and these are entirely voluntary thank yous sent to us by people who like what we do, and who want to reward us in some way.

We used to get upset, but you learn to laugh at them and not take this kind of thing to heart. We have learned to leave comments like this alone – they’re often just internet trolls. And leaving the nasty comments up shows the commenter to be an ignorant twit. The only time we delete comments is if they are racist, sexist, homophobic or rude. Luckily YouTube will filter out most of these comments before they go public, putting them in a ‘Held Comments’ file for you to approve or not.

CONCLUSION

If you’ve managed to get this far, thank you! Many viewers or readers never reach the end of a video or blog post, and often miss some of the most important messages the creator has to make. So here’s our message:

WE LOVE MAKING VIDEOS!

WE WOULD MAKE THEM EVEN IF THERE WERE NO YOUTUBE

MAKING VIDEOS IS A FANTASTIC OUTLET FOR YOUR CREATIVITY

IF YOU WANT A SAILING CHANNEL – DO IT AND HAVE FUN!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/5-reasons-not-to-start-a-sailing-youtube-channel/feed/6CHARGER FAIL, DIESEL LEAK, GENOA JAM… THAT’S BOATS!https://followtheboat.com/charger-fail-diesel-leak-genoa-jam-thats-boats/
https://followtheboat.com/charger-fail-diesel-leak-genoa-jam-thats-boats/#respondThu, 19 Apr 2018 07:56:44 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35404So while we sat in the heat awaiting delivery of a new alternator to battery charger, we got to grips with a few jobs like tackling that diesel leak and picking up a new solar panel. The wait wasn't too long, and we got on our way within a week. Only to be thwarted by the furling gear for our genoa which chose this moment to get stuck. ]]>

We were keen to get out of the marina, but when we started the engine SY Esper had different plans.

So while we sat in the heat awaiting delivery of a new alternator to battery charger, we got to grips with a few jobs like tackling that diesel leak and picking up a new solar panel. The wait wasn’t too long, and we got on our way within a week. Only to be thwarted by the furling gear for our genoa which chose this moment to get stuck.

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO!

A bottle of detergent and some hot water did the trick, and we managed a decent sail to a beautiful deserted anchorage next to a small island on the southern tip of Penang. We sat in the cockpit with a beer, watching white-bellied sea eagles soaring above us, then swooping down to feed their young. It was one of those precious moments that as liveaboard cruisers you treasure.

Do you enjoy our blog and videos?

And did you know that everything we do is FREE TO THE WHOLE WORLD? If you would like to show some love for our work, for as little as $2 a month you could become a Followtheboat Mate. In return you’ll be the first to hear our news and plans and we’ll add your name to the video roll call. We read all the comments left here, but if you want a one-to-one conversation with us, become our mate by joining Patreon or buying us a drink through the Rum Fund.

We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for your continued belief in us. Without your support we would not be preparing for the next passage east, or be bringing out these weekly updates on the continued story of followtheboat. Please do not hesitate to share this post, the more exposure we have the more it helps us.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/charger-fail-diesel-leak-genoa-jam-thats-boats/feed/0REMOVING OUR NEW COCKPIT ‘SHED’!https://followtheboat.com/removing-our-new-cockpit-shed/
https://followtheboat.com/removing-our-new-cockpit-shed/#commentsWed, 18 Apr 2018 05:19:19 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35399We're putting a hard dodger on Esper because we need to stay dry and warm during our easterly trip across the Pacific to Alaska and Canada. It will spoil her lines, but comfort wins out over beauty every time on a sailboat!]]>

Just a bit of fun for a Wednesday afternoon… Here’s the template for the new hard cockpit sprayhood/bimini being removed from Esper. If you look carefully, you can see Benny Hill came along to assist!

Click image for video!

CLICK IMAGE TO WATCH VIDEO!

We’re putting a hard dodger on Esper because we need to stay dry and warm during our easterly trip across the Pacific to Alaska and Canada. It will spoil her lines, but comfort wins out over beauty every time on a sailboat!

Peace and fair winds!

Do you enjoy our blog and videos?

And did you know that everything we do is FREE TO THE WHOLE WORLD? Our passage via Japan to the Pacific North West is going to cost thousands of dollars, so we are busy trying to find ways of saving money. For as little as $2 a month you could become a Followtheboat Mate. In return you’ll be the first to hear our news and plans and we’ll add your name to the video roll call!

This is a quick tour of Krabi Boat Lagoon in Thailand, all shot from a bicycle! It’s a lovely spot to work on the boat…

Click the image for video

Jamie bought the Zhiyun Crane (Mk2) some months ago to mount the GH5 on but found it rather cumbersome. It sat in the cupboard for six months until he pulled out his old Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2, also relegated to the cupboard once he bought the GH5, but the two work together quite well. It’s not going to win awards for the best colour depth but as b-roll it’s alright.

Preparations for the big trip eastwards to Pacific Northwest via Japan are coming along nicely…

Peace and fair winds!

Do you enjoy our blog and videos?

And did you know that everything we do is FREE TO THE WHOLE WORLD? Our passage via Japan to the Pacific North West is going to cost thousands of dollars, so we are busy trying to find ways of saving money. For as little as $2 a month you could become a Followtheboat Mate. In return you’ll be the first to hear our news and plans and we’ll add your name to the video roll call!

Six more videos cover off more daily questions put to us by our Patreons and youtubers.

DO YOU DRINK AND SAIL?

EIGHT ESSENTIAL CHEAP ITEMS FOR YOUR BOAT!

SAILING WITH PETS!

WHEN SHOULD YOU QUIT THE LIVEABOARD CRUISING LIFE?

THE TRUTH ABOUT BOAT REFITS!

ARE LIVEABOARD CRUISERS TOURISTS?

These episodes fall outside of our normal weekly vlogs so we’ve added them to our special Q&A PLAYLIST. You can view them all here from the comfort of followtheboat!

CLICK ON IMAGE TO WATCH VIDEO!

Our passage via Japan to Pacific North West is going to cost thousands of dollars, so we are busy trying to find ways of saving money.

From this point our Patreon and Rum Fund pledges will be diverted towards prepping Esper.

We have already started tightening our belts – e.g. we have postponed flying to UK to see family right now.

We are applying for a bank loan.

If you would like to become a Followtheboat Mate and help us achieve this exciting adventure eastwards, please consider becoming a Patron or Rum Funder. You only need to pledge $2 per month to become a mate of ours, and in return you’ll always be the first to hear our news and plans. And your name will be in our video roll call!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/six-more-sailing-questions-answered/feed/0สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ HAPPY SONGKRAN (THAI NEW YEAR) KRABI 2018!https://followtheboat.com/%e0%b8%aa%e0%b8%b8%e0%b8%82%e0%b8%aa%e0%b8%b1%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%95%e0%b9%8c%e0%b8%a7%e0%b8%b1%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%aa%e0%b8%87%e0%b8%81%e0%b8%a3%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%95%e0%b9%8c-happy-songkran-thai-new-yea/
https://followtheboat.com/%e0%b8%aa%e0%b8%b8%e0%b8%82%e0%b8%aa%e0%b8%b1%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%95%e0%b9%8c%e0%b8%a7%e0%b8%b1%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%aa%e0%b8%87%e0%b8%81%e0%b8%a3%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%95%e0%b9%8c-happy-songkran-thai-new-yea/#respondSun, 15 Apr 2018 04:02:12 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35355Every April, Thailand celebrates its new year by descending into a watery chaos with a water carnival known as สงกรานต์ (Songkran). From the smallest child to the oldest inhabitant, irrespective of religious or cultural background, everyone takes to the street.]]>

Every April, Thailand celebrates its new year by descending into a watery chaos with a water carnival known as สงกรานต์ (Songkran). From the smallest child to the oldest inhabitant, irrespective of religious or cultural background, everyone takes to the street. The original practice of sprinkling water over your nearest and dearest as a sign of good luck, has morphed into hoses in the face, buckets of iced water over your head and water pistol wars. Tourist, local, ex-pat, monk, bartender, policeman… they’re all at it.

So, as befitting a water festival, we took a dinghy trip into Krabi town centre through the backwaters. Inevitably we got drenched, had a huge laugh and gave as good as we got!

We took a more leisurely and spectacular journey through the mangroves on our way back to the marina, even stopping off to soak up the sounds and smells of a wild inlet.

Here is our tribute to one of the funnest days you can ever hope to have in Thailand!

Click on the image to watch video!

CLICK THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO!

HAPPY SONGKRAN! สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์

Thanks to American McGee for the additional footage!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/%e0%b8%aa%e0%b8%b8%e0%b8%82%e0%b8%aa%e0%b8%b1%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%95%e0%b9%8c%e0%b8%a7%e0%b8%b1%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%aa%e0%b8%87%e0%b8%81%e0%b8%a3%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%95%e0%b9%8c-happy-songkran-thai-new-yea/feed/0SY ESPER HAS HER FIRST VALUATION SURVEY IN 14 YEARS!https://followtheboat.com/sy-esper-has-her-first-valuation-survey-in-14-years/
https://followtheboat.com/sy-esper-has-her-first-valuation-survey-in-14-years/#respondSun, 15 Apr 2018 01:52:07 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35316We crossed everything as John began checking for osmosis, and tapped his way round the hull. The engine had all its boxes ticked and our safety equipment was given the thumbs up. So far, so good. But when he reached the shaft, the surveyor found something we weren't expecting...]]>

Sailboat survey day arrived, but it is only when the surveyor started his work that we began to wonder if there were things wrong with our home.

We crossed everything as John began checking for osmosis, and tapped his way round the hull. The engine had all its boxes ticked and our safety equipment was given the thumbs up. So far, so good. But when he reached the shaft, the surveyor found something we weren’t expecting…

Click image for video

There are two types of marine survey:

Pre-Purchase Condition Inspection

Before we purchased SY Esper, we had a full condition survey

In ‘How to buy a sailboat’ we recommend that you have a full survey before you purchase a boat. Every aspect of the boat will be inspected and tested. This needs to be in and out of the water, and should include a sea-trial.

Some old salts say it’s not necessary, but if your knowledge of boats is limited (like ours was when we purchased Esper) a survey is a must. Apart from all the structural and systems tests, a good surveyor will be able to find out if the boat has been written-off previously due to an accident

An insurance underwriter will insist on a valuation survey at the very least

Valuation Inspection

A less comprehensive inspection, and it’s not necessary to do a sea trial.

SY Esper had not been valued since her purchase in 2004, and had been insured at the same price for over 10 years.

Our current insurers (Topsail) asked for a Valuation Inspection to confirm the current insured amount.

We were interested in the inspection process as it gave us an opportunity to talk to the surveyor in more detail while he worked. The valuation took less than a day, and we were sent the report the following day.

The valuation report was broken down into sections:

Summary

Equipment

Systems

Survey Procedure

Findings/Recommendations

Appendices, photo log

Factory Specifications

Definitions used in report:

Excellent New or as new

Good Nearly new, only minor wear

Fair Item functions but would benefit from work

Poor Item needs repair or replacement

Appears A complete inspection was not possible (generally access)

Summary

This gives a full description, including age of vessel. John’s second paragraph begins “In general (except where noted below), the vessel was in fair to good condition” which was a relief to read!

He then goes into a few more details and descriptions of sails, spars, standing and running rigging, winches, traveller and all machinery.

Systems

Survey Procedure

The report explains how the inspection is made:

Out of water hull inspection

Equipment inspections

Sea trial – in the case of a valuation this is not necessary.

Findings/Recommendations

This was the section of the report which interested us most of all. It starts with a colour-coded table giving examples of the kind of findings where the surveyor recommends work. And it is then followed by a list of recommendations. We were pretty pleased that everything that required work was fairly minor, and could be done immediately. We received only one red “urgent” recommendation which we remedied immediately – some of the split pins on the rigging were missing!

Result

John’s valuation matched her existing insured amount, so there was no change to the policy! SY Esper has been valued at the same amount for the last 12 years, and while this shows no depreciation, it is worth remembering that we have probably spent that same amount again in repairs and replacements over that time. Yup, boats aren’t a financial investment!

Our passage via Japan to Pacific North West is going to cost thousands of dollars, so we are busy trying to find ways of saving money.

From this point our Patreon and Rum Fund pledges will be diverted towards prepping Esper.

We have already started tightening our belts – e.g. we have postponed flying to UK to see family right now.

We are applying for a bank loan.

If you would like to become a Followtheboat Mate and help us achieve this exciting adventure eastwards, please consider becoming a Patron or Rum Funder. You only need to pledge $2 per month to become a mate of ours, and in return you’ll always be the first to hear our news and plans. And your name will be in our video roll call!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/sy-esper-has-her-first-valuation-survey-in-14-years/feed/0SAILBOAT CAUGHT IN A FISHING NET!https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-caught-in-a-fishing-net/
https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-caught-in-a-fishing-net/#respondSat, 14 Apr 2018 09:33:02 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35307We took leisurely day-hops along the coast, and anchored when the sea-state allowed us. All went pretty smoothly until we dropped the hook just before Pangkor in the open water. A local fishing boat released his floats and disappeared back to land, leaving the long line and net to drift straight onto SY Esper!]]>

After our turgid passage north through the Malacca Strait from Singapore, we headed a further 150 miles north to Pangkor Marina along the Malaysian coast, where we would be hauling out our sailboat.

Click the image below for the video!

Our passage via Japan to Pacific North West is going to cost thousands of dollars, so you are probably wondering how we are going to afford to do all this.

From this point our Patreon and Rum Fund pledges will be diverted towards prepping Esper.

We have already started tightening our belts – e.g. we postponed flying to UK to see family right now, because we can’t afford it!

We are applying for a bank loan.

If you would like to become a Followtheboat Mate and help us achieve this exciting adventure eastwards, please consider becoming a Patron or Rum Funder. You only need to pledge $2 per month to become a mate of ours, and in return you’ll always be the first to hear our news and plans. And your name will be in our video roll call!

We took leisurely day-hops along the coast, and anchored when the sea-state allowed us. All went pretty smoothly until we dropped the hook just before Pangkor in the open water. A local fishing boat released his floats and disappeared back to land, leaving the long line and net to drift straight onto SY Esper!

]]>https://followtheboat.com/sailboat-caught-in-a-fishing-net/feed/0HOW TO PREPARE YOUR BOAT FOR AN OCEAN PASSAGEhttps://followtheboat.com/how-to-prepare-your-boat-for-an-ocean-passage/
https://followtheboat.com/how-to-prepare-your-boat-for-an-ocean-passage/#respondSat, 14 Apr 2018 09:13:50 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35294We will be heading into a colder climate, so this means making some big purchases and implementing some structural changes aboard Esper. The additional work and new gear is going to cost thousands of dollars, so you are probably wondering how we are going to afford to do all this...]]>

Crossing oceans is dangerous. So how do you prepare the boat to meet these dangers head on?

Minimising risk and taking precautions beforehand is essential to ensure your boat is in good order and that all equipment is up to date. You must be prepared for

Running out of water

Typhoons

Being struck by lightning

Capsizing

One of you going overboard

For ANY ocean crossing you have to service every single system on the boat. On this passage, we have to make some modifications and add new systems. Some of you have wondered why it is going to take so long to prepare the boat before we can set off on our passage to the PNW. We hope this will give a clearer picture of the work we have to do.

GENERAL BOAT PREP

As permanent liveaboards, we have a pretty good idea of which areas need particular attention, but we still have to double-check everything, then make repairs or purchase replacements accordingly.

We will be going into detail on each aspect in the future, but for now this is the task ahead of us:

Bags of spares for the engine/watermaker/generator/rigging and sail connectors.

In fact, it would be good to have a complete spare locker full of spares of everything!

A support vessel? Haha!

Comms

Essential to have good communications for long distances, particularly for weather predictions. Iridium Go seems to be the best on the market currently – unless Elon Musk comes up with an alternative!

This list is not exhaustive, what would you add?

Click the image below for the video!

We will be heading into a colder climate, so this means making some big purchases and implementing some structural changes aboard Esper.

The additional work and new gear is going to cost thousands of dollars, so you are probably wondering how we are going to afford to do all this.

From this point our Patreon and Rum Fund pledges will be diverted towards prepping Esper.

We have already started tightening our belts – e.g. we postponed flying to UK to see family right now, because we can’t afford it!

We will be applying for a bank loan.

If you would like to become a Followtheboat Mate and help us achieve this exciting adventure eastwards, please consider becoming a Patron or Rum Funder. You only need to pledge $2 per month to become a mate of ours, and in return you’ll always be the first to hear our news and plans. And your name will be in our video roll call!

ADDITIONAL BOAT PREP

Add a heating system:

A diesel stove would mean reconstruction in the saloon, disruptive through-deck fittings and would only be used for a short while.

Hot air systems like Eberspacher or Webasto can eat into your batteries and are considered less effective in the Pacific North West

If we install a generator we can use it in warm climates, and would be able to install a less intrusive hot air system…

Cockpit protection:

Our existing sprayhood and bimini are not adequate for long ocean passages. When we crossed the Indian Ocean from Maldives to Malaysia we were soaked to the skin throughout the adventure. As we head north this will be untenable, so we need to install an enclosed cockpit.

Adequate protection for ourselves:

Socks! Foul-weather gear, including shoes/boots and thermals.

New mittens for Millie!

Dry suit,or at least some kind of protection for getting in cold water for emergencies.

Can you think of anything else?

Thank you for reading this blog, and remember that if you are unable to become a Followtheboat Mate, please help us by SHARING this post and any of our videos on your social media. It helps get the word out!

Peace and fair winds!

Liz, Jamie and Millie xxx

]]>https://followtheboat.com/how-to-prepare-your-boat-for-an-ocean-passage/feed/0THE LONGEST NIGHT SAIL OF OUR LIVES!https://followtheboat.com/the-longest-night-sail-of-our-lives/
https://followtheboat.com/the-longest-night-sail-of-our-lives/#commentsSat, 14 Apr 2018 08:16:45 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35288At times we were barely making 1kt. With no bolt holes along the coast of Malaysia, and a hostile shore along Sumatra, it wasn't safe to drop the anchor to wait out the weather. ]]>

This passage north through the Malacca Strait was the most turgid and longest night sail of our lives. Ploughing directly into 4m waves and 20kts of wind on the nose is no-ones idea of fun.

At times we were barely making 1kt. With no bolt holes along the coast of Malaysia, and a hostile shore along Sumatra, it wasn’t safe to drop the anchor to wait out the weather. Although that area is pretty shallow, the swell was too dangerous and the waves might have pulled the windlass off and certainly would have broken the snubbers.

Click to image to watch the video

A couple of weeks after we arrived our friends sailed the same stretch of water from Singapore and suffered a similar fate. They almost turned back. The Malacca Strait is notorious for being like this, and it doesn’t seem to matter in which direction you are heading or on which day of the year! It’s just a right old pain in the ass! There was nothing for it but to keep plodding on, it was enough to try the patience of any sailor.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/the-longest-night-sail-of-our-lives/feed/1HOW TO PASSAGE PLAN THROUGH PIRATES & TYPHOONS!https://followtheboat.com/how-to-passage-plan-through-pirates-typhoons/
https://followtheboat.com/how-to-passage-plan-through-pirates-typhoons/#commentsSat, 24 Mar 2018 07:06:20 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35268Monsoons, typhoons, pirates, currents and fog are all going to conspire to make this a difficult passage, so it's up to us to work out the best way to get from Malaysia to the PNW via Japan!]]>

Monsoons, typhoons, pirates, currents and fog are all going to conspire to make this a difficult passage, so it’s up to us to work out the best way to get from Malaysia to the PNW via Japan.

SO WHY ARE WE HEADING EASTBOUND ACROSS THE PACIFIC?
Most vessels travel east to west, and you may have seen other cruisers doing exactly that. This is because the trade winds, currents and weather patterns make it the natural and more comfortable choice for a circumnavigation. Heading east is more difficult because these things are against you. With detailed planning, it is possible, and a number of boats do it every year.

When our PATREONS voted to send us to PNW via Japan, we realised we would have to passage plan through pirates and typhoons across 7500 miles, Liz rolled up her sleeves and got down to some serious research…

Question: So how do you plan a passage through pirates and typhoons?
Answer: Carefully!

Before we talk about weather, the major consideration when passage planning, it’s worth bringing up both of these points.

Security – It is always important to keep an eye on political and security developments in any country you are intending to visit. In recent years the Philippines, which used to be a popular cruising destination, has been hit by political unrest in the south and there have been some horrendous incidents of kidnapping. It has been confined to one area around east of the Sulu and Celebes Seas, and the whole of Mindanao. Although these incidents have faded, and President Duterte has Abu Sayyaf on the run, we have decided we will not take any risks by entering these areas.

Politics – can also be a problem when your home country has a dispute with the destination country in that visa requirements and lengths of stay can suddenly change. This happened a lot in India, when each time we left the country we went through different hoops and ended up with different visas depending on UK relations with India!

Weather – The most important aspect when planning a passage of this length is to work with known weather systems. We will have monsoons, typhoons, currents and fog to consider in this long passage and these will dictate the shape of our journey as well as timings.

DISTANCE
Not taking into consideration all the local cruising we will have, the total miles for a direct passage is:

From Tioman to Alaska approximately 6,500 miles.

From Tioman to BC, it’s around 7,500 miles.

FOUR CRUCIAL STAGES WHERE WEATHER WINDOWS DICTATE OUR TIMINGS:

Tioman to Borneo

Borneo to Philippines

Philippines to Japan

Japan to PNW

Click the image to watch the video

SO THIS IS THE PLAN:
For passage planning we usually find that the best way is to work backwards from the final destination. This allows us to set concrete(ish) dates along the route for each major stop and shows us where the windows are tight. This in turn dictates how long we will have at each destination. So this is how we put together our current favourite route:

Japan to PNW

In World Cruising Routes, Jimmy Cornell says that the best time to depart Japan, probably from one of the central ports like Yokohama, is June/July for Alaska and July/August for BC.

The first big problem associated with both passages is the risk of typhoons in the first stages of leaving Japan. They have very good weather information, so we will be monitoring it daily, even hourly as it gets closer to departure.

So, now we know we need to be leaving Japan around July.

The next question is when will we arrive in Japan?

Philippines to Japan

This is always going to be tough because this area has the potential for typhoons all year round. May is generally considered to be one of the better months for heading out, either to Nagasaki via the western coast of Taiwan, or the longer, open sea route direct to Osaka. Any earlier and the NE monsoon will make it tricky.

Cornell also mentions the shorter route from eastern Philippines to Okinawa being possible if you plan to sail earlier while the NE monsoon is still blowing. This looks like a great route, which would allow us to pick our way eastwards through the islands before arriving at Yokohama. BUT we need to do a little more research to find out if it will be feasible in May.

So, now we know that we should be leaving Philippines in May, during the transitional season and the beginning of the SW monsoon.

Borneo to Philippines

This is where the window gets even narrower because the ideal time to leave Borneo for Philippines is the same ideal time to leave Philippines for Japan!

Having said that, we know of one boat which has left Borneo and is currently heading along the east coast of Palawan right now, in mid March. We’re also in touch with another boat which is waiting on the edge of Borneo for a good window to head along the west coast of Palawan.

Clearly there will be a lot more shelter on the east coast, but there is still the small risk of piracy. The west coast would be safe, but potentially more difficult in terms of sea state and wind.

So, now we know that we could be leaving Borneo as early as March, which would give us a decent six weeks or so in the Philippines.

Tioman to Borneo

There is only one time to start heading east, and that is during the SW monsoon when conditions in the southern South China Sea are best. Last year we arrived in the Anambas in September, and left in October. This was quite late in the season, so we would expect to head over in June/July, then carry on east to Borneo towards the end of the season in August.

So our start time from Tioman is going to be June.

So, in a nutshell:

Tioman to Borneo via Anambas – Depart June/August

Remain in Borneo, cruising Sarawak and Sabah for around seven months

Borneo to Philippines – Depart March

Remain in Philippines for two months

Philippines to Japan – Depart May

Remain in Japan, cruising for around two months

Japan to PNW – Depart July/August

SO WHAT COULD CHANGE?
Anything and everything! We may end up staying longer in the Philippines or Japan, and that will delay us by a year. Who knows? We don’t…yet.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/how-to-passage-plan-through-pirates-typhoons/feed/4CLOSE ENCOUNTERS IN SINGAPORE’S SHIPPING LANES!https://followtheboat.com/close-encounters-in-singapores-shipping-lanes/
https://followtheboat.com/close-encounters-in-singapores-shipping-lanes/#commentsThu, 22 Mar 2018 07:00:17 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35256This is our 100th episode on YouTube since the first vlog after our refit, published on 9 May 2015. Back then Jamie was tackling the usual boat chores, Liz wasn't catching any fish, Millie was thinner and the weather was still hot...]]>

Tropical rainstorms that go on for days are no fun, so we hid in one of the prettiest marinas in Malaysia to escape, but the rain kept coming and the mould kept growing… Then the sun came up and we had some close encounters with containers in the Singapore shipping lanes!

Back then Jamie was tackling the usual boat chores, Liz wasn’t catching any fish, Millie was thinner and the weather was still hot.

Click to image to watch the video

If you’ve watched some of our earlier output you’ll understand why we’re embarrassed about the rudimentary editing, video and sound quality! And we hope you will have noticed the improvements we have been making.

The really exciting thing has been to watch our sailing channel grow, and to read the increasingly informed and entertaining comments. We have a fantastic community of subscribers and followers here on the blog, as well as Youtube and social media. And the most generous group of individuals who support us on PATREON and through the RUM FUND.

Not only has this fantastic generosity enabled us to upgrade and add to our camera equipment, but we have bought better laptops and sound gear, and now have access to some of the best editing software available.

Without your encouragement we would not be producing such regular videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/close-encounters-in-singapores-shipping-lanes/feed/2OUR NEW DODGER GETS UNDERWAY!https://followtheboat.com/our-new-dodger-gets-underway/
https://followtheboat.com/our-new-dodger-gets-underway/#commentsWed, 21 Mar 2018 06:16:19 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35251The dodger will be made from stainless steel plate overlaid with honeycomb and fiberglass. We will use hard strataglass in the front and as a frame around the softer vinyl side windows. Both sides will roll right up, and the front will have a central zipped window flap.]]>

OK, so this is just a couple of shots taken on the phone, but we thought you might be interested to see the first template. It’s taken two days of measuring, cutting and fitting, and we’re almost there…***

These pics give you an idea of the profile. Clearly it needs to be robust and functional, but we are also trying to arrive at a sympathetic design which follows Esper’s lines.

The structure will be made from stainless steel plate overlaid with honeycomb and fiberglass. We will use hard strataglass in the front and as a frame around the softer vinyl side windows. Both sides will roll right up, and the front will have a central zipped window flap.

Although a hard enclosure means losing the breezy and open aspect we currently enjoy, we believe the new design will improve our protection and comfort during the passage to PNW and all future ocean sailing.

We’ll keep you updated, and of course will be covering the whole process in our videos.

***It’s changed again! No new photo to show you, but it’s pretty similar, just thinner fiberglass at the front and back and some additional stainless steel struts.

We’re all very excited aboard Esper, not least Millie who is looking forward to two new corner spots under the hood!

Peace and fair winds!

If you like this, please leave a comment with your suggestions and feedback.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/our-new-dodger-gets-underway/feed/2RUNNING AWAY FROM SQUALLS!https://followtheboat.com/running-away-from-squalls/
https://followtheboat.com/running-away-from-squalls/#respondMon, 19 Mar 2018 04:36:38 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35230While we lingered in the tranquil peace of Tioman the storms clouds gathered. And continued to grow as we made our way to the safe haven of Johor. In this episode we show you what it's like sailing through squalls and anchoring in lightning storms. Hey ho, that's the end of the beautiful weather then for a while!]]>

The Anambas adventures may be over but we’ve got a long sail ahead of us and, with a front coming in across the Gulf of Thailand, we need to get our skates on.

While we lingered in the tranquil peace of Tioman the storms clouds gathered. And continued to grow as we raced towards the safe haven of Johor, on the Malaysian side of Singapore. In the video we show you what it’s like sailing through squalls and anchoring in lightning storms. Hey ho, that’s the end of the beautiful weather for a while then!

This is, of course, one of the problems with the freedom of being on a boat: we are at the mercy of the weather… so perhaps we’re not as free as we think. Still, it’s a good opportunity to try out our (relatively) new sails in some strong gusts and test our navigation skills around wrecks and reefs to get us safely towards Sebana Cove on the SE corner of Malaysia.

Click image to see video

Liz is working on a piece on passage planning, specifically our convoluted trip towards Japan and the Pacific Northwest, so if you have any questions you’d like her to answer, pop them in the comments below or email her directly. She’d love to hear from you. Oh, and the good news? We may be starting our passage south sooner than we thought, but bear in mind a sailor’s plans are written in the sand…

OK, back to dodger designing and making sure the carpenters are getting on with their work. If you watched our refit series you’ll remember Ton and Tui, to the two brothers, who pretty much refitted everything on Esper. Well, they’re back on board and cracking on with some modifications! Hard workers, great company and good fun. We’ll be documenting their progress in more detail as we go.

]]>https://followtheboat.com/running-away-from-squalls/feed/0WHEN TROPICAL INFECTIONS BECOME DANGEROUS!https://followtheboat.com/when-tropical-infections-become-dangerous/
https://followtheboat.com/when-tropical-infections-become-dangerous/#respondSun, 18 Mar 2018 08:57:28 +0000http://followtheboat.com/?p=35213Eagles circled over anchorages while beneath us the clearest water imaginable revealed tropical, cartoon colours. We were overwhelmed by the hospitality the local people offered us each time we set foot in a community.]]>

Is this what every cruiser dreams about? Are places like the Anambas why people give up normal life to become ocean nomads? Yes, apart from when that small scratch tries to turn septic in the tropics…

Despite Jamie’s infected wound, we loved the Anambas, and at the end of this video Liz sums up why it is every cruiser’s dream destination, and why it’s what we are all searching for.

Click the image to see the video

We loved the Anambas for the total immersion in nature. The air, water and land teems with wildlife. We saw some of the best coral and sea-life we’ve ever encountered, and especially loved the turtles. Eagles and terns circled over every anchorage while beneath us the clearest water imaginable revealed cartoon tropical colours. The people were welcoming and engrossing, and we were overwhelmed by the hospitality and kindness they offered us each time we set foot in a community.

And probably the best thing of all is that you can only see all of this if you visit in your own boat. It’s what we dreamed about back in rain-soaked England twelve years ago.

It’s the end of this extraordinary experience… BUT we are on our way to a brand new adventure in the coming months. So for now…